Rustic Fruit Tarts

[vengroff]

Rustic Fruit Tarts

This is a basic recipe for a simple fruit tart. It is completely informal, yet it's completely at home at all the but the fanciest of dinner parties. It can be filled with almost any seasonal fruit. I've included a number of filling options below, but feel free to experiment. It's great served with a complimentary flavor of ice cream.

One tart serves six.

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For the crust

• 5 oz all-purpose flour
  
• 1 T sugar
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 8 T unsalted butter (one stick)
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 2 T ice water, or a bit more if needed
  

For final preparation once filled

• 2 T milk or cream
  
• 2 T coarse-grained sugar
  

Apple Filling

• 1 large Granny Smith Apple
  
• 1 T butter, melted
  
• 1 T cinnamon
  
• 2 tsp brown sugar
  
• 1 T all-purpose flour
  

Mixed Berry Filling

• 3 T strawberry preserves
  
• 1/2 pt blackberries
  
• 1/2 pt rasberries
  
• 2 tsp powdered sugar
  

Cherry Filling

• 1-1/2 c cherries, pitted and cut in half
  
• 1/3 c brandy
  

Peach Filling

• 4 small ripe peaches
  
• 3 T apricot preserves
  
• 2 T brown sugar
  

Begin making the crust ahead of time. At least an hour is ideal, but in a pinch 20 minutes will do.

Set up a food processor with the dough blade. Sift the flour, sugar and salt together into the bowl of the food processor. Cut the butter into individual 1/2T chunks, taking care not to warm it much with your hands. Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse repeatedly until you get a uniform mixture with a texture like corn meal.

Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolk and spinkle with the ice water. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Be patient, it can take a while to distribute the water and egg yolk. If the crust won't come together, add more ice water, 1t at a time.

Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and them squash it into a disk about an inch thick. Set it aside in the refrigerator for one hour. If you can't wait, put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes instead.

While the crust is chilling, prepare one of the fruit fillings.

Apple Filling

Peel, core, and quarter the apple. Slice it very thinly. You may want to use a mandoline for this. Toss the apple slices with the melted butter. Mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together, then toss in with the apples to coat.

Berry Filling

Toss the berries together with the sugar. Hold the preserves in reserve for final assembly.

Cherry Filling

Pit the cherries and cut each in half. Place them in a shallow non-reactive dish and pour the brandy over them. Allow to macerate for 30-45 minutes.

Peach Filling

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop one of the peaches into the water. After 45 seconds, remove it with a slotted spoon. The skin should now be loose. Remove the skin, cut the peach in half, and discard the pit. Repeat with the remaining peaches.

Final Assembly and Baking

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Place it on a well-floured surface, and roll it out into a circle of about 12" in diameter. Transfer the rolled pastry to a cookie sheet. This is easiest to do if you dust it lightly with flour, then fold it in half, then in half again. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and unfold.

If you are using the apple or cherry filling, simple heap the filling in the center of the crust, and spread it out slowly so that it comes within 2" of the edge.

If you are using either the berry or peach filling, spread the crust with the preserves out to about 1" from the edge.

If using cherries, place the filling in the center and spread to withing 2" of the edge.

For the peaches. arange them cut side down on top of the preserves, with one peach half in the center and the others in a ring around it. You may only have room for six in the ring, in which case you can just eat the other one. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the peaches.

Now that the tart has been filled, carefully fold the edges of the crust up and over the filling. It will necessarily fold and crease, but that's part of the charm. There should still be a large open area in the top. Brush the exposed part of the crust with cream, and sprinkle the coarse sugar over it. This will form a crunchy decorative coating as it cooks.

Bake the tart for 30 minute or until the outer crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. The tart can be served warm or at room temperature, but it should not be served directly from the oven.

Try caramel ice cream with the apple tart, vanilla with the berry or cherry, and lime with the peach.

Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Vegetarian

( RG140 )