Fresh Fruit Tart
An easy dessert that looks as good as it tastes, this basic fruit tart features a buttery shortbread crust topped with an easy vanilla cream cheese filling, fresh fruit of your choice and a simple, homemade fruit glaze—or, take the easier, shortcut route and top the tart with your favorite canned pie filling.
Recipe Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water
Cream Cheese Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze:
1/2 cup mashed fruit of choice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Fruit:
1 1/2 cups fresh fruit (assorted berries, sliced peaches, nectarines, plums, mango, kiwifruit, pineapple)
Cooking Directions:
- For Crust: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Beat egg yolk with ice water; add to flour mixture. Mix with fork, then gather into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out approximately 1-inch wider than a 9 1/2-inch tart pan. Place in tart pan and fold pastry overhang back toward inside; press firmly against side of pan and prick all over with a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For Cream Cheese Filling: With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread filling in cooled crust and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- For Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup mashed fruit of your choice with the sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. (If desired, place pan in another shallow pan filled with ice water to speed up the cooling process.)
- To Assemble: Arrange prepared fruit on top of cream cheese filling and evenly spoon glaze over top. (Or, simply fold prepared fruit into the chilled glaze and then spoon glazed fruit on top of the cream cheese filling.)
Makes 8 servings.
Make it Quicker and Easier Tips:
- Omit the fresh fruit and homemade glaze and serve this tart topped with your favorite canned pie filling. (I like to add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the cream cheese filling when I serve this tart with canned cherry pie filling, to which I also add another 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring, as well).
- When you're really short on time, skip making the crust altogether and use a ready-made shortbread cookie crust or use refrigerated sugar cookie dough to make the crust.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe using peaches): 346.9 calories; 49% calories from fat; 19.3g total fat; 80.3mg cholesterol; 205.7mg sodium; 136.9mg potassium; 40.2g carbohydrates; 1.1g fiber; 26.1g sugar; 39.1g net carbs; 4.6g protein.
Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.