I don’t know about you but when I look in a bakery case the first things my eyes are drawn to are the pretty fruit tarts. For some reason I had never attempted a fruit tart recipe so I thought it was time. There is nothing overly complicated about making one, I have just never done so. When I have ordered them out as dessert after dinner or as a treat from a bakery I usually end up getting a mini tart.
Table of Contents
All Amazon purchase links are affiliate links which means if you buy anything through them I will receive a small commission (at no additional charge to you)
They are easy to make – you can either use one large tart pan or you can use mini tart pans. I have both but in this instance I went with one large tart. Usually after we harvest we enjoy a goodly amount fresh, then I freeze berries for the winter so we can enjoy them in the winter and some go into jam. In all truth, when I made this tart the hubby had brought some berries back from Missoula to augment the strawberry harvest.
Fruit Tart Recipe
Serves 6 – 8
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy from my link I might make a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay. See the full affiliate disclosurehere.
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the Pastry Cream:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 TBS flour
1TBS cornstarch
Assorted berries
Apricot jam
Whisk the flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat until just combined.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low until the dough just comes together.
Remove the dough from the bowl, form into a disc.
Wrap the disc in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for about half an hour until firm
Spray a 8 – 9″ tart pan (with removable bottom) with cooking spray.
Carefully pat the dough into the pan until it covers the bottom evenly and goes up the sides
Cover and freeze for about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°
Remove the tart pan from the freezer and uncover. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
Prick the dough with a fork and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes then lower the heat to 350° and bake for 15 more minutes until the crust is lightly golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool.
Make the Pastry Cream:
In a medium bowl mix the sugar and egg yolks together.
Sift the flour and cornstarch together and add to the egg mixture until well blended. Set aside.
Add the milk and vanilla bean to a small saucepan. Heat over medium high heat until just before boiling. Remove the vanilla bean and set aside.
Whisking constantly add the egg mixture being careful that no lumps form. If they do you can strain the mixture.
Scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds into the pastry cream. If using vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste add it now.
Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for about a minute. Remove from heat and pour the cream into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap lightly pressed on the surface so that a film doesn’t form. Cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Assemble the tart.
When the pastry cream is cool you are ready to put the tart together. Gather the crust, the cream and your berries.
Carefully remove the tart from the tart pan.
Brush the bottom of the tart with apricot jam.
Add the pastry cream to the tart shell and spread it evenly in the shell.
Use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the pastry cream.
Arrange your berries in any pattern that you would like. I used strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.
Melt a couple of tablespoons of apricot jam with a little bit of water over medium low heat.
Brush the berries with the jam
How Was the Fruit Tart Recipe?
The tart was really yummy. The crust was almost like a shortbread, the pastry cream had a delicious vanilla flavor and the berries were sweet/tart. It was a wonderful dessert – just what I like, not too sweet and yet just sweet enough with delicious fresh fruit.
I’ll be making it again for sure. Maybe when peaches come in season. That is the beauty of a recipe like this; you can mix and match and have so much fun. Imagine a chocolate crust with a marshmallow pastry cream and strawberries on top or an almond crust with a lemon cream and peaches. The combinations are endless and delicious.
Tarts make for wonderful desserts, consider a simple yet luscious Chocolate Tart or a Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Tart – mmmmmm. If you like fruit on your tarts try a Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Tart which combines the classic spring combination with creamy pasty cream in shortbread. Then there is my favorite flavor combination – Turtle Shortbread Cookie Tart. There you go – plenty of tart combinations from which to choose.
