This post should actually be entitled Fruit Tarts for Dummies… or rather, Fruit Tarts for A Dummy. Because, listen, if I can do this … I, me, someone with absolutely no patience for baking or dough or measuring exactly or any of that silliness… if I can do this, you can do this. And you will be so happy.
Fruit trees are one of the many benefits of living in Southern California. Not just fruit trees, but bountiful fruit trees that need very little upkeep. I am as bad at gardening as I am at baking (that patience issue) yet I have in my yard lemon trees, orange trees, apricot trees, a pomegranate tree, a kumquat tree, avocado trees, a macadamia nut tree and a glorious fig tree that goes crazy in season. Consequently, I’m always looking for ways to use the fruit.
Prepping Fruit Tarts
I’ve written before about Patricia Wells, a chef whose writing and cooking had an incredible influence on my life. In her book At Home In Provence, there’s a gorgeous Apricot-Honey-Almond Tart you can also make with figs. It looked so incredible, and so easy, I had to give it a try. My first attempt turned out so well I kept making these tarts over the summer, in different variations, to master the tarts and see which fruits worked best. And so I give you below my slightly tweaked take on her recipe.
Did I mention how %@$# incredible they taste? Wow, are they wonderful. This recipe slays everyone by both beauty and taste. Anyone you serve the tart will have no idea how simple it is (and there’s no reason to let them know!) They’ll look at you like you had Patricia fed-ex the tart from her kitchen in France. Because it’s best served room temperature, it’s perfect not only for your home but to bring to a picnic or to a potluck. My goodness, these taste good. And they are light as well! While gorgeous, this tart is the opposite of a heavy, dense dessert. But you get all the pleasure just the same.
apricot tart, right out of the oven
ONE NOTE: Hearty fruits such a stone fruits or figs are best with this recipe. The blueberry and raspberry versions I tried tasted great but those soft fruits started to break down into mush by the time they were finished cooking.
***!!! As an added treat this week, my beloved friend Frances Newcombe did some art for the post, including a downloadable PDF of the recipe – click here to download what you see below.
For the recipe and download, click here:
SIMPLE SUMMER FRUIT TARTS
(adapted from Patricia Wells’ At Home In Provence)
INGREDIENTS
Use a 9 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or 3 individual tart pans (4-5 inches)
The Crust:
A tab or two of butter for preparing tart pan
8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 t pure almond extract
1/4 t Mexican Vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (I like King Arthur for baking)
2 T finely ground raw almonds (or some almond flour, though I like the homemade here)
The Filling:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 t Mexican Vanilla extract
2 T raw high quality honey, such as lavender or orange blossom
1 T ground almonds
about 1 1/2 lbs fresh apricots, pitted and halved (do not peel) or figs, halved, or any stone fruit such as peaches or plums halved (or a combo!)
Powdered Sugar for garnish, if desired
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375º
2. Butter the bottom and sides of the tart pan and set aside (just rub every bit of the surface with butter, just enough to cover)
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and gently combine. (A wooden spoon works great here.) Add the extracts, salt and flour and stir to combine. Do not let form into a ball. It should be very moist with the butter completely incorporated.
4. Spread the dough out over the bottom and sides of the tart pan. I like to start with the sides, using my fingers to edge the dough up the sides and then over the bottom. It should be pretty thin. Go easy, don’t overwork the dough. “Don’t treat it like you hate it, treat it like you love it.”
5. Bake until the dough is a little puffy, about 12 to 15 minutes. It sill suddenly start to puff up a little – that’s the time to pull it out. Sprinkle some of the ground almonds over the crust, which will prevent it from becoming soggy. It also adds more almond flavor, yum.)
tart crust out of the oven
6. While the tart shell bakes, prepare the cream. Combine cream, egg, extracts and honey. Whisk to blend. Whisk in the almonds.
7. Starting at the edge, place your halved fruit around the tart pan, creating more and more circles as you get closer to the center. You just want to make sure the cut side is facing up and the fruit tilts slightly downward. Have fun with your placement. I usually put a final half, straight up, in the center.
8. Pour the cream evenly over the fruit. Get it not just on top but in between so the tart fills up.
tart with cream, ready for the oven
9. Bake in the oven until the filling is firm (but not solid, like a cake) and the tart dough is golden. **You will begin to smell the wondrous smells of the fruit, cream and pastry. That’s when you need to really start being aware of the tart. It’s almost done. The large tart will be 50-60 minutes. Smaller tarts about 40… but it varies from oven and also depending on the moisture level of the fruit. Don’t worry. It’s going to be so good.
10. When finished, let rest on a rack to cool (I just rest mine on the raised levels of the gas burners on my stove)
mini-tarts, right out of the oven
When cool, lift the tart pan and tap the bottom gently. You may be surprised how easily it pops out and you end up with a gorgeous tart. If this makes you nervous, you may also cut and serve the tart from pan itself. Give it a try, though. It always works and it still tastes great if it breaks apart!
***For this beautiful downloadable version of the recipe, click here.
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