Classic French Fruit Tart

 

onceuponachef.com

 

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By Jenn Segal

•     UPDATED JUNE 28, 2024

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Whip up a French fruit tart that could dazzle in the window of a fancy bakery—with its buttery shortbread crust, luscious vanilla custard, and a vibrant mix of fresh fruits, it’s a simple yet elegant treat for any occasion.

 

 

 

 

This classic French fruit tart combines three equally delicious elements: a crisp, buttery shortbread crust (or pâte sucrée), a creamy vanilla custard (or crême pâtissière), and heaps of fresh fruit. The recipe comes from my friend Lisa Kolb Ruland, the pastry chef behind the beautiful and inspiring blog Unpeeled. The fruit tart comes together easily but looks like it came straight out of a French pâtisserie window, and it tastes even better than it looks.

You’ll need a 9.5 x 1-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom for this recipe. These pans can be ordered online or found in any kitchen store (my local hardware store even carries them in their kitchenware section). Decorating the tart is the fun part. You can do a more traditional French design of carefully arranged fruit (see below), a more free-form fruit pattern, or a mix, like the one shown above. Just have fun with it—as long as you use ample fruit, it will look gorgeous!

If you’d like to do a mango or kiwi slice rosette in the center, leave a space in the middle of the tart. Start from the outside and work your way to the center, overlapping each slice a little on top of the next

 

Finally, heat the apricot jam with a tablespoon of water and dab it over the fruit. This glaze makes the fruit tart shine and also locks in the fruit’s freshness.

 

 

 

 

Classic French Fruit Tart

By Jenn Segal

Adapted from Lisa Kolb Ruland of Unpeeled

Whip up a French fruit tart that could dazzle in the window of a fancy bakery—with its buttery shortbread crust, luscious vanilla custard, and a vibrant mix of fresh fruits, it’s a simple yet elegant treat for any occasion.

Servings: 10

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes, plus a few hours to prepare, chill, bake, and cool the pâte sucrée (sweet tart dough) and the pastry cream

 

 

INGREDIENTS

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•     1 recipe pâte sucrée (sweet tart dough)

•     2 cups whole milk (do not substitute low-fat or skim milk)

•     ½ cup sugar

•     3 tablespoons cornstarch

•     1 large egg

•     2 large egg yolks

•     3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

•     2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•     About 4 cups fresh mixed berries of choice, plus other fruits, such as sliced kiwi or mango (see note)

•     ¼ cup apricot jam

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INSTRUCTIONS

•     Make the Crust: Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.

•     Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium pot, heat the milk until just boiling. Remove the pot from heat. While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.) Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent “scrambled eggs,” especially on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles. (See note below if you see any coagulated bits of egg in your custard.) Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it down in the bowl so it sits directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill until cold, a few hours (or up to 2 days before serving).

•     Assemble the Tart: Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart shell to a serving platter. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. (Alternatively, heat it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.) If the jam is especially chunky, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.

•     Note: Avoid melon and other fruit with high moisture content, like sliced citrus. These will wilt quickly and seep moisture into the pastry cream. Also avoid oxidizing fruit like apples and bananas; these fruits will turn brown. Berries should be fully dried after rinsing (raspberries should not be washed) and strawberries should be sliced.

•     Note: If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.

•     Make-Ahead Instructions: The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving. The tart can be assembled and refrigerated up to one day before serving.

Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Tart Dough)

By Jenn Segal

•     UPDATED SEPTEMBER 7, 2024

A pâte sucrée is a crisp yet tender pastry crust that is slightly sweet. It maintains its shortbread-like texture when chilled, which makes it ideal for tarts that require refrigeration.

 

Enriched with egg yolk, butter, and sugar, pâte sucrée is a crisp yet tender pastry crust that is slightly sweet. (In French, pâte means dough and sucrée means sweet.) The dough maintains its shortbread-like texture even when chilled, which makes it ideal for tarts that require refrigeration, like a classic French fruit tart.

Pâte sucrée dough is typically rolled out using a rolling pin, but since it’s very prone to tearing, I find it easier to simply press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of the pan; there’s also less risk of overworking the dough this way.

This recipe makes enough dough for one 9.5 x 1-inch high fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie shell. Feel free to double the recipe and freeze half for another time; it keeps well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE PÂTE SUCRÉE (SWEET TART DOUGH)

 

Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Tart Dough)

METRIC

 

CUP MEASURES

By Jenn Segal

A pâte sucrée is a crisp yet tender pastry crust that is slightly sweet. It maintains its shortbread-like texture when chilled, which makes it ideal for tarts that require refrigeration.

Servings: One fully baked 10-inch tart shell or 9-inch pie shell

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 45 Minutes, plus at least 1 hour to rest and chill the dough

INGREDIENTS

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•     1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

•     ⅓ cup sugar

•     ¼ teaspoon salt

•     1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

•     1 egg yolk

•     Nonstick cooking spray with flour, for baking

INSTRUCTIONS

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•     In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until the flour is incorporated. The mixture will look like wet, clumpy sand. Add the egg yolk and mix on low speed until the yolk is evenly incorporated and the dough is clumpy, about 30 seconds. Using your hand, lightly knead the dough into a ball inside the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, press it into a 6-inch disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. (The dough can be tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.)

•     Lightly spray a 9.5-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie shell with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place the chilled dough inside the pan. Pinch off pieces of dough and press them against the sides of the pan to reach about ⅛-inch thick and about ⅛ inch above the rim (you'll trim the top later). Using the heel of your hand, press the rest of the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. (It will look like a mess, and it may seem like you won't have enough dough at first, but have faith, it will come together.) Be sure there are no seams in the dough, and press it squarely along the corners where the bottom meets the sides to avoid extra-thick edges. Use a paring knife to trim the top edge of the dough so it is even with the rim of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.

•     Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

•     Place the chilled pâte sucrée on a baking sheet (for easy handling) and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.