Best Scrumptious Fruit Tart Recipes

FRESH FRUIT TARTS

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream. In the bowl of a food processor with a blade attachment, pulse the flour, butter, sugar and salt until no big chunks of butter remain. Slowly add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture. Blend to combine but don't overwork the dough.
• Remove the dough and, turning it out onto a lightly floured surface, knead it 4 or 5 times to incorporate.
• Divide the dough in half if making one large tart. Divide the dough into four pieces if making mini tarts. Flatten the dough pieces into discs with your hands, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes and up to overnight. (Freeze any remaining pieces for another project for up to 3 months.)
• Make the pastry cream: Put a damp kitchen towel under a medium bowl and whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the sugar until the yolks are lighter in color, about 2 minutes. (The towel will ensure the bowl doesn't slide around.) Add the cornstarch and salt, whisk again, and set the bowl aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and the remaining sugar 1/4 cup sugar and cook until the mixture almost boils, 4 to 5 minutes. With one hand, start whisking the egg yolk mixture; with the other hand, slowly drizzle the hot milk into the bowl, whisking until all the milk is incorporated.
• Pour the custard back into the saucepan and continue cooking, stirring constantly, on medium-high heat, until the mixture is thick and one bubble plops up on top, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the custard from the heat and pour into a clean medium bowl. Don't scrape the pot if the bottom looks burned or like scrambled eggs. Now, stir in the butter and vanilla. Keep stirring until the butter melts. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl so it is touching the pastry cream, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Bake the tart shell or shells: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is a circle (about 9 inches across and 1/2 inch thick for one large tart and about 6 inches across and 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick for four mini tarts.
• Lay the dough onto the tart pan, and then using your fingers, gently press it down. Try not to tear the dough or make it too thin. Ideally, it should be an even thickness all the way across.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully trim the edges so the dough is perfectly even with the top of the tart shell (see Cook's Note). Place the tart shell on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork, poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the tart shell to keep bubbles from forming during baking. Refrigerate the tart shell for 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tart shells if using.
• Remove the pan or pans from the fridge and lay a piece of parchment over the chilled dough. Fill the uncooked tart shell with pie weights or dried beans or uncooked rice.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then, using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Remove the pie weights and parchment. Return the baking sheet to the oven, continuing to bake until the crust is golden brown, 5 to 8 more minutes. Let the pan or pans cool on a wire rack.
• Make the glaze and finish the tart: In a medium pot over medium heat, cook the apricot jam and water. Stir with a fork as it cooks until the mixture is a thin, shiny liquid, about 3 minutes.
• Take the pastry cream from the fridge and, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat the pastry cream to loosen it up. Spread the pastry cream in a thin 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer on the bottom of the tart shell.
• Carefully cut the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, mangos and figs. Arrange the fruit so there is no visible pastry cream. (You can make the tart look awesome by laying the fruit in cool patterns.)
• Once the fruit is arranged, use a soft pastry brush to paint it with the warm apricot glaze. Don't leave any bare spots. Make sure to glaze all the fruit. Take your time.
• Cut and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

SCRUMPTIOUS FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350'F, Make your sugar cookie mixture, roll into a ball.
• Pat Cookie Dough into a circle leaving about a 1/4 inch edge for cookie dough to spread while baking on a pizza pan or tart pan.
• Bake cookie at 350'F for about 10-12 minutes until cookie begins to be golden brown around edges and cooked in the middle.
• Make your custard while cookie cools. Let your custard cool until ready to spread onto cookie. If using instant pudding, mix large box of instant Jell-O Vanilla Pudding with 2 1/4 cups of milk. (See link below for my custard recipe link)
• Slice fruits. You can slice any fruits you'd like. Set aside. Spread Custard/Pudding around baked cookie leaving a 1/4 inch edge without custard.
• Arrange fruit starting from the outside in. Slightly layering them on the edges of each slice. Use small fruits like Blueberries to fill in empty spots where custard is exposed.
• NOTE: This is a great way to impress guests or take to a get together. You can make everything from scratch or do the semi homemade version. Either way it will be one very awesome dessert! This is a very versatile dessert and can be experimented using different fillings and fruits as well as toppings.
• NOTE: If using a tart pan, place a layer of parchment on top of cookie dough and fill with beans or rice to keep shape of tart, let it cool in this way as well. This will help the dough from falling and not loosing the crinkle shape of the tart.

FRUIT TART

Steps:

• For the crust: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry cutter or your fingers, gradually work the butter into the flour until pea-sized pieces form. Stir together the egg yolk and water, then stir into the flour mixture using a fork in a small bowl. Stir, then knead the dough together until it is no longer crumbly and holds together when pinched with your fingers. Form it into a disc and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• Roll the dough into a 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the crust into the pan and trim the edges right at the top of the tart pan sides. (Do not worry ff the crust cracks! Patch it up with the dough pieces that were trimmed from the edges). Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Place the crust on a dinner plate, then in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• During the last 20 minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 400˚. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually pour in the heavy cream with the mixer running on medium-low and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the crust and spread into an even layer.
• For the topping: Arrange the blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, and mango on top of the filling. Microwave the apple jelly in a small microwavable bowl until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds. Brush the apple jelly over the fruit. Chill the tart until cold and the filling is set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

CLASSIC FRENCH FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the Crust: Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.
• Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium pot, heat the milk until just boiling. Remove the pot from heat. While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.) Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent "scrambled eggs," especially on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles. (See note below if you see any coagulated bits of egg in your custard.) Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it down in the bowl so it sits directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill until cold, a few hours (or up to 2 days before serving).
• Assemble the Tart: Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart shell to a serving platter. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. (Alternatively, heat it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.) If the jam is especially chunky, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
• Note: Avoid melon and other fruit with high moisture content, like sliced citrus. These will wilt quickly and seep moisture into the pastry cream. Also avoid oxidizing fruit like apples and bananas; these fruits will turn brown. Berries should be fully dried after rinsing (raspberries should not be washed) and strawberries should be sliced.
• Note: If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving. The tart can be assembled and refrigerated up to one day before serving.

MINI FRUIT TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the tart shells on a rimmed baking sheet. Prick the bottoms and sides of the dough with a fork. Bake on the bottom rack until the dough is golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let the tart shells cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the pastry cream. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until bubbles form around the edges. Gradually add the milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir in the sherry. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter and vanilla and let cool completely.
• Spoon the cooled custard into the tart shells. Top with the fruit. Heat the apricot jelly in a saucepan or the microwave until melted. Brush the jelly onto the fruit. Let stand until set.