Modern Fruit Tarts

Blueberry, Apricot, Berry, Cherry
                                                                        

Our Thoughts

Once again, tart success! As a dessert to an HUGE meal, these tarts were perhaps not well enough appreciated at the time of initial consumption, but it has been determined from their timely disappearance form the left-over counter that they are, indeed, a household hit.

The apricot tart is beautiful in presentation, and has a delicate taste unlike tarts using dried apricots. The fresh fruit has a lighter taste, and is accented phenomenally by the lemon and pistachio combination. Chocolate and cherry is always a fab combination, and eating them with a spoon straight out of the baking tin while no one is looking is certainly the best way to enjoy! The blueberry was a favorite, with a low sugar content it tastes very fruity, almost bordering on savory. The heart warming mixed berry tarts, with their failed shape and lattice, were, as Chelsea pointed out, like most Sariann food is, very rustic. And we loved it.

Lemon Pastry Dough

We used this dough for all the tarts, save the cherry ones.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 7 Tbsp soft stick butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp confectioners sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
Combine the flour, salt, sugar, cornstarch and butter until an even consistency is formed. Then add the zest, vanilla, and egg. Mix with your hands until everything is incorporated. Add flour if needed to create a dough that is not sticky. Flatten to a disk, wrap in cling film and cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Pastry Dough

Used for the cherry tarts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick chilled, unsalted butter cut into pats
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream, chilled
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Mix together flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and mix with your hands till the butter resembles peas. Add the yolks, cream, and vanilla and mix together till a uniform consistency. Flatten into a disc and wrap with cling film, refrigerating for 30 minutes before use.

Blueberry Tart

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp cinnamon sugar
  • 2 pints blueberries
  • confectioners sugar
  • lemon pastry dough
Press the dough into a bottom of a 9″ round or square tart pan. Pour in as many berries you can fit in a single layer. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the berries evenly, and pop in the oven at 375 F for one hour, or until it starts to bubble. Remove from the oven, top with any remaining blueberries, and dust with confectioners sugar.

Apricot Tart

Ingredients:

  • 5 apricots
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chopped pistachios
  • lemon pastry dough
Roll out pastry dough and press into 4, ~4″ wide tartlette pans. Cut apricots into very thin wedges and arrange them in the art pan, starting from the outside in. Sprinkle each tart with 1 teaspoon of sugar and chopped pistachios. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 F. After cooling and removing from the tart pans, we poured a bit of cherry juice reserved from the cherry tart recipe to add color and sweetness. Simply pour over top of the tart.

Berry Tart

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint blackberries
  • 1 pint raspberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • lemon pastry dough
Gently mix berries and sugar together in a bowl and set aside. Roll out dough, and press into tart pans (we used Yorkshire pudding pans and the outcome was less-than perfect.). Spoon sugared berries into tarts and top with lattice of tart dough if desired. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 F.

Cherry Tarts

Ingredients:

  • ~4 cups pitted and halved cherries (we used bing, could use anything!)
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • chocolate tart dough
Mix cherries, brandy, and sugar in a pot and simmer on medium heat for about a half hour, stirring occasionally. Roll out the dough and press into tart tins (we used a muffin-pan, and if you do the same, please use cupcake liners!). Spoon cherry mixture into the tarts, and bake at 375 F for 15 minutes. Reserve the excess cherry syrup for the apricot tarts.

5 Responses

  1. Holy cow these all look fanastic! I foresee a trip to the farmer’s market for some fresh fruit in my future so I can make some of these!

    Reply

    • Wasn’t bad with the frozen berries. Not too sweet, and the lemon crust is definitely the way to go! Will make again. Want to try apricot next.

      Reply

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