Fresh Fruit Tart

Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, this fruit tart recipe is just the sort of elegant, deceptively simple dessert to serve at the end of a special lunch or dinner.

Because of its glossy apricot glaze, which is a little pastry trick I’ll show you, folks will always ask if it’s from a fancy French pâtisserie.

Whether you say oui or non is entirely up to you.

How do you make a Fresh Fruit Tart? 

First, I make a tart dough that gets pre-baked until crisp and brown. Next, I make a delicious pastry cream that, once chilled, gets spread over the bottom of the crust.

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The fun part happens next, when I get to arrange gorgeous fresh fruit all over the top of the tart. To keep the fruit fresh, a glaze is brushed over everything.

Why do Fruit Tarts need to be glazed? 

Once placed, the fresh fruit needs a little help to stay bright and hydrated, so I make a light, sheer glaze using apricot jam that I brush over the fruit to give it a polished look and to protect it while it’s waiting to be served.

Think of the glaze as a sort of top coat! The result is amazing.

How do you glaze a Fruit Tart?

To make the glaze, gently warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan on the stove, stirring frequently. Once melted (but not bubbling), carefully brush the glaze over the fruit using a pastry or basting brush, like this one. Apple jelly works too, if that’s all you can find.

How do you make a Fruit Tart that doesn’t turn gummy? 

Sometimes, even the prettiest fruit tarts can suffer from an unappealing gumminess when you take a bite. You can prevent this from happening to yours, though: make sure you bake the crust until it is brown, so it’s cooked enough to withstand the moisture of the pastry cream. Also, assemble the tart as close to the time you’re planning to serve it as possible, preferably within a few hours. 

Can you freeze a Fresh Fruit Tart?

Alas, this beautiful dessert is best on the day it’s made. You probably won’t be happy if you freeze it.

How do you store a Fruit Tart? 

This tart is best served the day it is made; cool or room temperature storage is fine that day, but be sure to refrigerate the leftovers. 

What fruit is best for a Fresh Fruit Tart? 

If berries are hard to find, please don’t feel like you must scour your town looking for exactly the fruit called for in this recipe.

Depending on the season, what looks and tastes good at the market, and what is regional to your area, you can mix up the fruit any way you like and come up with your very own signature fruit tart.

Maybe stone fruit is in season, so the plums and cherries and peaches look better than the strawberries. Or maybe you have access to  fresh marionberries instead of blueberries… by all means, add them!

You can even create a theme for your tart, much like a flower arrangement. You can be inspired by woodland berries (currants, gooseberries, mulberries raspberries), lush tropical fruit (pineapple, kiwi, mango), winter citrus (blood orange, grapefruit, tangelo), or an orchard (apples, pears, quince).

This beautiful dessert is a blank canvas, begging to be filled with different flavors, textures, shapes, and colors, all handpicked by you.

Save this Fresh Fruit Tart to your “Desserts” Pinterest board!

And let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always pinning tasty recipes!

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Fresh Fruit Tart

Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, this fruit tart recipe is just the sort of elegant, deceptively simple dessert to serve at the end of a special lunch or dinner. Because of its glossy apricot glaze, which is a little pastry trick I'll show you, folks will always ask if it's from a fancy French pâtisserie. Whether you say oui or non is entirely up to you.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Chilling time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 8 servings

Calories 270 kcal

Ingredients

For the tart dough:

• 7 tablespoons butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the pastry cream:

• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter

For the fruit tart:

• 1 pint Fresh cut fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and kiwi
• Apricot jam melted, as needed

Instructions

To make the tart dough:

1. In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 

2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg. Continue mixing until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and salt, mix until combined.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour and baking soda and blend until the dough comes together (do not overmix).

4. Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour.

To blind-bake the tart crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch. If the dough crumbles or breaks apart, press back together with your fingertips. 

3. Line a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan with the dough. Cover with parchment paper or foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 12 minutes.

4. Remove pie weights and parchment paper or foil. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and fully cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool completely.

To make the pastry cream:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk, vanilla, and half the sugar to boil. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until lightly beaten. Add sugar and cornstarch and whisk until combined.

3. To the yolk mixture, add about 1/2 cup boiling milk mixture and whisk to combine. Return yolk mixture to the pan with the milk mixture and cook, whisking vigorously, until the cream boils and has thickened.

4. Boil pastry cream about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a clean mixing bowl.

5. Fold in butter (do not overmix). Cover, placing plastic wrap directly on surface of custard, and chill at least 1 hour.

To make the tart:

1. Fill cooled tart crust with chilled pastry cream. Arrange fruit in a decorative pattern. Brush with apricot glaze.

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