Fruit Tarts

This is usually made with Pate sucree, better known as French flan pastry which is a very rich but light pastry. The method of mixing is called the ‘well’ method and involves placing of the softened or melted butter, sugar and eggs in a well prior to mixing. The result is an excellent crisp sweet pastry. I use a custard made with milk, sugar and custard powder instead of the traditional crème pattisiere custard made with egg yolks for the base of the filling. A little whipped cream mixed into the cooled custard gives a better smooth flavour and texture. Sliced fresh or canned fruit topping is arranged on top of the custard lined tart. The traditional method is to use cold butter and a little ice water to make the pastry but I prefer to use melted butter and no water.

Fruit Tarts

Print Recipe

Fruit Tarts Print Recipe

Ingredients

Pastry

• 100 g flour
• 40 g icing or castor sugar
• 40 g butter or margarine
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Filling - Custard Base

• 100 ml milk
• 1 tsp custard powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 50 ml whipped cream

Filling - Topping

• 1 cup sliced fruit a mixture of fresh fruits or canned fruit can be used. If fresh fruits are used and they are not very sweet, I tablespoon of castor/ icing sugar can be sprinkled over the fruit.

Glaze

• 1/2 cup water
• 5 ml liquid glucose
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 7 ml gelatin
• 1 tsp corn flour/arrowroot

Servings:

Instructions

1. Melt the butter/margarine and cool to room temperature.
2. Place the melted butter, sugar and egg in a well in the flour prior to mixing.
3. Mix the flour with melted fat, egg yolk, essence and sugar.
4. Add only enough of egg yolk to bind the mixture of flour and fat.
5. Knead very briefly until smooth. Rest for 5 minutes.
6. With floured hands and working on a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to fit the loose bottom base of the pan with an inch or more to spare.
7. Lift the pastry on to the oiled base of the pan and fit into the outer oiled fluted part of the pan.
8. Gently press the pastry with your thumb and fingertips to cover the sides and base of the pan perfectly. Rest the pastry for at least 30 minutes.
9. Bake blind in a moderate oven by covering the base of the tart with foil and some dried lentils like rajma or chickpeas (channa) until done. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking to brown the base. The baked tart will be a light biscuit brown when done. The aroma will also indicate when the tart shell is ready. Cool. It is also possible to bake medium and small tarts by pricking them all over with a fork and baking at a lower temperature for a longer time.
10. Make the custard by boiling the milk with sugar after reserving a little cold milk for dissolving the custard powder. Add the custard powder paste to the boiling, sweetened milk and cook till thick. Cool.
11. Add the whipped cream to the cooled custard and spread evenly over the base of the tart.
12. Arrange the sliced fruit over the custard. Sprinkle/brush with a little glaze (optional) and store the tart in the fridge until serving.
13. To make the glaze, boil water, liquid glucose and sugar for 5 minutes. Add soaked gelatin and cornflour or arrowroot powder mixed in a little cold water and remove from heat after the glaze becomes colourless.
14. This recipe is for a single 6 inch fluted loose bottom flan or tart tin. The same dough and filling can be used for making small individual tarts. The individual tarts need not be baked blind. They should be pricked with a fork all over and baked for about 15 minutes or until done.
15. A little melted chocolate can be spread at the bottom of the baked tarts before the custard if the tarts need to stay out of the fridge for a while. This will prevent them from getting soggy and will be delicious. This is optional.