Fruit Tarts

Posted on Thursday, 14th April 2011 by Grace

The sun is shining, the weather is finally getting warmer and my thoughts are turning toward summer and the berry-growing season. We’ve been very lucky over the last few months; the market has stocked some delicious sweet and juicy berries. I decided to take advantage of our good fortune and I made some Fruit Tarts this week.

Although the berries have been quite flavourful nothing is better than freshly picked berries. I am looking forward to the Ontario berry growing season, visiting local farms and picking a few baskets (or more). The berries are always so sweet, juicy and flavourful.

It’s funny I wait all winter to enjoy the fresh berries and when the different berry growing seasons finally arrive I spend all my time preserving for the fall and winter months. I always think I’ve stashed enough away to get us through but inevitable I always fall short by at least a month or two.

The last couple of years I’ve gone back to canning and making jams and jellies and fruit in spirits. I am anxious to experiment with different flavours this year and move away from the usual strawberry, raspberry or blueberry jam.

I’ve been craving fruit tarts ever since my favourite bakery, Angelo’s, closed. I’m sure I’ve told you, probably more than once; I am a huge lover of Pastry Cream. I could happily enjoy a whole bowl on it’s own, especially warm. Angelo’s pastry cream was always very light and I wanted to achieve the same. I decided to do this by folding in some freshly whipped, lightly sweetened cream.

I wanted a crispy, slightly crunchy but tender pastry so I decided on a Pâte Sucrée (sweet tart dough) for the pastry shell. I’ve learned a few great tips for making Pâte Sucrée. One, the colder the better; chill all of your ingredients, flour, sugar, butter, eggs and water. I refrigerate my flour and sugar for at least an hour prior to making and I freeze the butter and ice water for at least one-half hour. And for good measure, I also chill the food processor bowl.

Two, the quicker the better, I always use a food processor to make the pastry because the whole process takes less than a minute. And also, very important, it keeps your warm hands off the dough.

Topped with luscious sweet berries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and a glistening cherry jelly glaze.

These tarts make a stunning showcase for colourful berries. The irresistible light cream filling and sweet crust will entice you to indulge in more than one.

Fruit Tarts

Makes 8 11½-cm (4½-inch) tarts

**Special Equipment – 8 X 11½-cm (4½-inch) tart tins with removable bottoms

Pâte Sucrée
All-purpose flour, for work surface
Pastry Cream
1 large egg, for egg wash
125 ml (½ cup) heavy cream, 35%
1 teaspoon sugar
59 ml (¼ cup) cherry jelly, seedless raspberry jam, apricot jam or red current jelly
Mixed berries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries

Prepare Pâte Sucrée (see recipe below).
Roll out the Pâte Sucrée on a lightly floured work surface to .64-cm (¼-inch) thick. Cut the pastry into eight 15¼-cm (6-inch) rounds. Fit the pastry rounds into the tart tins; trim off excess pastry with a sharp paring knife. Prick the bottoms of the pastry shells with a fork. Transfer pastry lined tins to a baking sheet; freeze pastry shells until firm, about 30 minutes.
Prepare pastry cream (see recipe below).
Preheat oven to 190° C (375° F).
Remove pastry shells from freezer. Line individual pastry shells with non-stick baking paper, leaving a 5-cm (2-inch) overhang; fill with ceramic pie weights, dried beans or rice. Return tins to the baking sheet and bake pastry shells until edges are just beginning to turn golden, about 30 minutes.
Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack. Remove non-stick baking paper and pie weights. Let cool for 1 minute. Prepare an egg wash; brush bottoms of pastry shells with egg wash. Return to oven and continue to bake until golden all over, about 5 minutes.
Transfer tins to a wire rack and allow to cool for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove pastry shells from tins and return to wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, with a hand-held electric mixer, beat heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form.
Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the pastry cream (this will help loosen the pastry cream). Fold in one-half of the remaining whipped cream and then fold in the remaining whipped cream, set aside.
Prepare glaze; place the jam or jelly into a small-sized saucepan and set over medium-low heat, stir until melted and smooth, set aside to cool slightly.
Divide pastry cream mixture evenly between pastry shells and spread evenly with a small offset spatula.
Arrange berries on top and brush berries with glaze.
Enjoy! Tarts are at their best on the day they are assembled.

Pâte Sucrée

313 g (2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
42 g (3 tablespoons) sugar
227 g (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into .64-cm (¼-inch) cubes
2 large egg yolks, cold
59 ml (¼ cup) ice water

Place the flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor; pulse a couple of times to combine.
Add the cold butter; process until mixture resembles a coarse crumb, 10 to 20 seconds.
In a small-sized bowl, lightly beat egg yolks; add the ice water and mix to combine.
With the processor running, add the egg mixture in a slow steady stream through the feed tube. Process until the dough comes together (do not process more than 30 seconds). Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together with your fingers. If you find the dough to be crumbly, add ice water, 1-tablespoon at-a-time.
Divide the dough into two equal balls; flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer discs to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.
If not using immediately Pâte Sucrée may be stored in the freezer for up to one month.

Pastry Cream

237 ml (1 cup) whole milk
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
70 g (5 tablespoons) caster (super fine granules) sugar, divided
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
9 g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch
8 g (1 tablespoon) flour

In a medium-sized saucepan, over medium heat, bring the milk, vanilla bean and seeds, and 56 g (4 tablespoons) of the sugar just to the boil.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 14 g (1 tablespoon) sugar until well combined and thickened.
Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the cornstarch and flour into the egg mixture; whisk until smooth and well combined.
Remove vanilla bean from milk mixture. Pour the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until well combined.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously with a whisk. Let bubble for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a small bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming as it cools.

Tags: after school treat, afternoon tea, dessert, dessert fillings, desserts, food, food photography, food photos, fruit, fruit desserts, glaze, individual dessert, individual desserts, mini desserts, mini tarts, pastries, pastry, pastry cream, Summer desserts, tartelettes, tarts
Posted in Baking & Pastry, Baking Mise en Place, Custards, Creams & Mousses, Fillings, Frostings & Dessert Sauces, Pastry Doughs & Batter, Recipes

Comments (5)

5 Responses to “Fruit Tarts”

Says:
April 14th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
These tarts are gorgeous and I love that combo of berries! All of your photos are amazing.
Says:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Wow, they look unbelievable, so beautiful!!! fresh and colorful, exactly what spring should feel like
Says:
April 15th, 2011 at 6:55 am
The cherry glaze looks absolutely fantastic – makes me salivate just looking at those tarts!
Says:
April 15th, 2011 at 10:35 am
These fruit tarts look amazing, so shiny and pretty! I’m ready for berry-picking too! I can’t wait to get out in the fields and pick my own
Grace Says:
April 15th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Thank you Janine, the last of my preserving from last summer.

Fruit Tarts

Fruit Tarts

Pâte Sucrée

Pastry Cream

5 Responses to “Fruit Tarts”

Leave a Reply

Toronto