Fruit Tart

Celebrate Spring bounty with a delicious and classic fruit tart. You can make giant versions to feed a whole group or make mini fruit tarts for individual servings. In the mood to try addition dessert recipes, then try my Mexican flan recipe.

How to make perfect tart shells

You’ll want to buy some perforated tart rings. They are a bit pricey but they work SO well and last forever! These are the magic tart rings I used to bake the shells, I’ve started collecting them in all sorts of shapes and sized and I’m loving them. Baking on a perforated silicone sheet can give you a perfectly baked base with no bubbling. The steam that forms underneath can escape through the side so no docking is needed!

Steps to make the fruit tart filling

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean by bringing it to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat then set it aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
2. Separate the egg whites and yolks into a separate bowls. Don’t throw out those egg whites, you can use them to make many tasty things! Put the yolks into a larger bowl
3. Pour in 2/3 cup sugar in with the egg yolks and whisk them together until it’s a light and fluffy mixture.
4. Now add the cornstarch and mix vigorously. You don’t want any lumps remaining! You can also sift it into the bowl to help prevent those lumps.
5. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until it is incorporated then mix the remaining hot milk mixture in. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking continuously until thickened and slowly boiling. Now go ahead and remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
6. Let it cool slightly then pour it into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill it for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Steps to make perfect tart shells

1. Add the cubed butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for about 2 minutes or until it’s homogeneous.
2. Add your egg yolks and mix until combined.
3. Add the flour and mix for about 45 seconds or until it’s a shaggy mixture.
4. Roll dough out between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper and chill for an hour to overnight.
5. Peel off the layers of paper and cut your tart bottoms out. Cut a strip for the side.
6. Place the strip for the side in your tart ring.
7. Press the side into the ring and trim the excess.
8. Trim the top so it’s flush to the ring.
9. Bake at 320F for about 12 minutes.

How to Make a Fruit Tart

1. Heat 1/2 cup of apricot preserves, 1 tbsp brandy and 1 tbsp water in a bowl. Mix together and strain.
2. Whip up your chipped pastry cream until it’s smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and fill your cooled tart shell.
3. Place your fruit in the tart. Try and make a fun grouping with lots of colors.
4. Brush the fruit with the apricot jam mixture. This will help preserve the fruit and give it a beautiful glossy shine.

frequently asked questions

Can you make fruit tarts the night before?

Fruit tarts can be made a few days in advance and chilled until ready to serve. The key is to coat the fruit in a light glaze to keep it from drying out. Mix some strained apricot preserves with a little water or liqueur, warm and brush over the surface.

How long can a fruit tart sit out?

A fruit tart can sit out at room temperature for a few hours before needing to be refrigerated. It’s best to cover your tart with a cloche or keep in a sealed container.

What is the filling in a fruit tart?

Fruit tarts are generally filled with pastry cream made from milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar corn starch, and butter.

What are some tart fruits?

• Blueberries
• Peaches
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Kiwis
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Apricots
• Mangos
• Orange premiums

If you’ve tried this fruit tart recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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5 from 305 votes

Fruit Tart

A delicious fresh fruit tart with a crisp sweet pastry shell, creamy custard filling and lots of beautiful fruit covered in an apricot glaze.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 412kcal

Author John Kanell

Video

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• ▢ 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 450g
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt 3g
• ▢ 16 tbsp butter unsalted, cut into cubes
• ▢ 6 egg yolks
• ▢ 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar 160g,
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL

For the Pastry Cream:

• ▢ 2 cups whole milk 473mL
• ▢ 1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise
• ▢ 6 egg yolks
• ▢ 2/3 cup sugar 135g
• ▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch 32g
• ▢ 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter 14g

For the Glaze:

• ▢ 1/2 cup apricot jam
• ▢ 1 tbsp water
• ▢ 1 tbsp brandy

For the Assembly:

• ▢ 3 cups assorted fruits

Instructions

For the Crust

• Add the cubed butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for about 2 minutes or until it's homogeneous.
• Add the egg yolks and mixed until combined.
• Add the flour and mix until shaggy, about 45 seconds.
• DIVIDE into 2-3 equal pieces and press each into a flat disk. Roll out to a thickness of 3mm, 1/8 inch, in between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper. Chill for at least an hour. 
• Peel off the layers of paper and cut your tart bottoms out. Cut a strip for the side. Place the strip for the side in your tart ring. Press the side into the ring and trim the excess.Trim the top so it's flush to the ring.
• Freeze tarts for at least half an hour. Bake at 320F for about 12-15 minutes or until just golden. If you're using a traditional tart mold you can just cut the rounds out and press into the form.

For the Cream

• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated.
• Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
• Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using. I whipped some cream up and folded it into my chilled custard to lighten the filling up, this is now technically called Ambassador Cream.

For the Assembly

• Heat 1/2 cup of apricot preserves, 1 tbsp brandy and 1 tbsp water in a bowl. Mix together and strain.
• Whip up your chipped pastry cream until it's smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and fill your cooled tart shell.
• Place your fruit in the tart. Try and make a fun grouping with lots of colors.
• Brush the fruit with the apricot jam mixture. This will help preserve the fruit and give it a beautiful glossy shine.

Notes

Fruit tarts can be made a few days in advance and chilled until ready to serve. The key is to coat the fruit in a light glaze to keep it from drying out. Mix some strained apricot preserves with a little water or liqueur, warm and brush over the surface.

Nutrition

Serving: 147g | Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 3.4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 69.3mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.4mg

*Nutrition Disclaimer

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