All you need is one formula to produce a nearly infinite variety of French-style fruit tarts. Start with a pĆ¢te sucrĆ©e crust, add pastry cream, and top with fresh fruit. You can scatter the fruit freehand, or arrange it in a pattern to make a tarte composĆ©e (literally, a ācomposed tartā). Here, summer berries are mixed and matched, but you can also use stone fruits such as cherries or apricots, or fresh figs or grapes. PĆ¢te sucrĆ©e is sturdier than pĆ¢te brisĆ©e, making it a good choice for tarts that are unmolded before serving. Because the filling is not baked in the crust, it is necessary to blind-bake the shells completely. Traditionally, French fruit tarts are glazed with jam for a polished sheen, but this step is optional; a light dusting of confectionersā sugar or a few tiny flowering herbs look equally lovely. To make a nine-inch tart, use half a recipe of PĆ¢te SucrĆ©e, and add about five minutes to the baking time.
Recipe information
Yield
makes two dozen 3-inch tarts
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375Ā°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick, 1 disk at a time. Cut out twenty-four 4-inch rounds, and fit dough into two dozen 3-inch tart pans. Trim dough flush with rims. Pierce bottoms of shells all over with a fork. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 2
Line tart shells with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; continue baking until crusts are golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 3
Fill tart shells halfway with pastry cream and top with berries, arranging in concentric circles. If desired, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat apricot jam until loose, then pass through a fine sieve. Gently brush berries with strained jam. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.
