Easy Fruit Tart

This is a great recipe that strays from the traditional French version of a fruit tart. Most tarts you'll find call for a custard base, that although taste wonderful, are higher in fat and calories and are much more time consuming to make. This recipe is simple and easy and contains little more than fresh fruit! If you don't own a tart pan, this will give you a reason to buy one. It is not an expensive addition to your kitchen and is well worth having around for these types on confections. After you've made the fruit tart, make sure to try the shortbread recipe I posted several months ago!

Easy Fruit Tart

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

PASTRY

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 TBSP ice water

FILLING

• 2 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 1/2 TBSP all-purpose flour

GARNISH - use only fresh fruit

• 3 kiwis sliced into 1/4 " slices (see bottom for a tip on how to peel)
• 1 container of fresh raspberries (about 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• Use could also use mandarin oranges or blackberries as well!

GLAZE

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves mixed with 1 TBSP water
• If you don't have the preserves, you could sprinkle with confectioners sugar right before serving.

Directions:

• Pastry: In food processor, place flour, salt, and sugar and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a course meal. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the vanilla. Add it to your mixture and pulse again until the pastry starts to hold together when pinched. Add the ice water, if necessary, to help it come together. Try not to process more than 30 seconds (pulses) all together.
• Transfer the pastry to an 11 inch fluted tart pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Press evenly over the bottom and up the sides on the pan. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the blueberry filling.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour for the filling. Add the 2 1/2 cups of blueberries and toss to coat. When the oven comes to temperature, remove the chilled pastry crust from the refrigerator and evenly pour/spread the filling mixture in the bottom of the crust. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until the pastry edges start to turn golden brown (about 20-30 minutes). Remove from the oven and place just the tart pan on a wire rack to begin cooling.
• While the filling is still warm and gooey, start to arrange your fresh fruit in the tart, pressing the pieces down into the filling. Mix your glaze and brush on a light layer around all the fruit. If choosing to use blackberries, skip glazing just that fruit. Or, as mentioned, you can skip the glaze and dust the top with confectioners sugar just before serving. Remove the tart from the pan while it's still slightly warm and place on it's serving platter (it will remove easier when warm). I leave the bottom of the pan under the tart - just remember to cut gently so you don't score the pan! Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving. You can cover and store leftovers in the fridge.

** Tip for easy Kiwi peeling... Carefully cut off both ends of the kiwi. Take a small tea spoon (demitasse spoon) and slip it between the skin and the fruit and gently slide it all the way around the edge of the skin to where you started. You may have to do both ends that way. Then just push on the fruit and it will slide right out of the skin!