Best Free Form Berry Tart Recipes

FREE-FORM FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Spread pastry cream evenly on the bottom of the crust. Arrange fruit in overlapping concentric rows, beginning at outside edge and working in towards the center. For a "fruit salad" tart, toss fruit in a bowl with a drop of Kirsch (optional). Pile the fruit on the pastry cream.
• Edge the crust with the nuts and sprinkle on fruit at the edge of the tart. Either brush glaze on the fruit or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
• For the dough: Place flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 3 or 4 times to mix. Add butter and pulse about 12 to 15 times until the mixture is reduced to a fine powder. Do not allow to become pasty. Add egg and liquid, and continue to pulse until the dough forms a ball.
• Remove dough from work bowl to a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 5-inch disk. Use immediately, or wrap in plastic and chill until firm before using.
• To make a free-form tart crust, roll dough to a 12-inch disk and transfer it to a parchment- or foil-lined cookie sheet, or the back of a jelly-roll pan. Using a plate or cardboard disk as a pattern, trim the dough to an even 12-inch diameter. Fold under 1/2-inch of dough along the edge of the dough, then flute the edge as if it were a pie, to make the edge stand up. Use the thumb and index finger of one hand on the outside of the tart shell and the index finger of the other hand on the inside and pinch gently from the outside while pressing lightly from the inside. Repeat all around the edge of the crust.
• Pierce the dough with a fork before baking. Place the dough on the middle rack of a preheated 400 degree oven. Lower temperature to 350 and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and transfer to a rack to cool. For the Pastry Cream: Combine sugar, flour and salt in a 1 to 1 1/2-quart non-reactive saucepan. Stir with a small whisk to mix. Whisk in milk, then egg and yolk. Place over low heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and comes to a boil. Allow to boil 10 or 15 seconds, whisking constantly.
• Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter. Scrape the pastry cream into a non-reactive bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in liqueur just before using pastry cream. For the glaze: In a small saucepan bring the preserves and water or liqueur to a simmer, stirring often. Strain into another pan and return to a boil. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. NOTE: If tart is mostly red fruit, use currant jelly and strawberry or raspberry preserves.

RUSTIC FRUIT TART (FREE FORM GALETTE)

Steps:

• In a stand mixer, combine dry ingredients for crust and stir to mix. On low speed, add butter until the flour is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas.
• Mix egg yolk and milk together then add to flour mixture until just combined (about 15 seconds).
• Remove the mixture from the bowl and put on a floured surface. Knead quickly until it just comes together. The dough will be dotted with butter spots throughout. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In the meantime, in a large bowl toss together ingredients for the fruit filling; set aside.
• Remove pastry ball from refrigerator and place on a floured surface or a floured Silpat. (Just rolling between 2 pieces of plastic wrap may be easier.) Place the plastic wrap on top of the dough ball and proceed to roll out until approximately 12 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer crust to a baking sheet.
• Ladle filling in the center, leaving a few inches of dough around the edges and pull over the free edges on top of the fruit filling leaving the center exposed. Brush the dough edges with egg wash and top with sugar in the raw or brown sugar.
• Cook for 55 minutes or until crust is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

FREE-FORM FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the basic tart dough using buttermilk instead of the chilled water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• After the dough is chilled, place it on a nonstick cookie sheet and roll it into a circle about 14 inches in diameter.
• Arrange the nectarines in the center of the dough and mound the berries on top of the nectarine slices. Scatter the chunks of butter over the fruit and sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over it all.
• Fold up the edges of the dough to make a packet, with the fruit in the center partly exposed. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the dough and bake the tart until the crust is golden and the fruit is soft, about 40 minutes.

BLUEBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter; process until large moist crumbs form (dough should hold together when squeezed).
• Transfer dough to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom; with floured fingers, press evenly into bottom and up sides. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes; prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, reserve 1 cup of the prettiest berries for topping. In a medium saucepan, bring 1/4 cup water and 1 1/2 cups berries to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to break down, 3 to 4 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water; stir into berries in pan. Add lemon zest and juice, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, stirring, just until mixture begins to thicken, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 3 1/2 cups fresh berries. Immediately pour hot berry mixture into cooled tart shell, and smooth with a spatula.
• Immediately pour hot berry mixture into cooled tart shell, and smooth with a spatula. Scatter reserved berries on top, pressing down lightly to help them adhere. Refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes and up to overnight.

FREE FORM TART SHELLS

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder. When well combined, add the butter and pulse the machine until the butter is broken up into the flour mixture. Add the egg and water and process until the dough forms a dough.
• Transfer the dough into waxed paper; pat it (with floured hands if need be) into a flat round and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes or until it has relaxed and you can roll it out.
• Divide the dough into approximately 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured board roll out the pieces until slightly thicker than 1/8th-inch thick. Rather than bother fitting them into tartlet shells and prebaking them, simply shape them into rough rounds (3 inches or 3 1/2 inches round) or cut them into hearts or rectangles. Transfer the free form shapes to a baking sheet and chill 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scraps can be shaped into smaller cookies.
• Prick the dough with a fork (just as you would the bottom dough of a tartlet shell) so the dough doesn't puff up. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove them from the oven to a rack and let them cool. When completely cool top with whatever you like.
• To make a topping that simulates a fruit tart gently warm the red currant jelly in a saucepan and brush over the free form tart shells. Arrange some sliced berries over the top and center a whole one in the middle if you wish. You can glaze with more warm currant glaze or pipe whipped cream on top or dust with confectioner's sugar.
• You could also brush bottoms with warm glaze and set other fruit over top or brush bottoms with some lemon curd and top with fruit.