Sally Darrs Updated Dried Fruit Tart Recipes

DRIED-FRUIT STAR-LATTICE TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll disks of dough to 14-inch rounds. Place 1 round on a parchment-lined baking sheet; refrigerate or freeze until firm, 30 minutes. Fit other round into an 11-inch fluted tart pan. Trim dough flush with rim. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, 30 minutes.
• Make the lattice: Using a ruler, cut chilled round into sixteen 1/2-inch-wide strips with a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Lay 6 strips on another parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet in parallel lines slightly longer than diameter of tart pan. Lay 6 more strips on top, almost perpendicular to first strips. Starting in center, weave 1 new strip diagonally through existing grid, under bottom layer of strips and over top layer. Push diagonal strip into corner of each square (where strips meet) to create a tight fit. Weave a second strip 1 inch away, this time over, then under. Repeat weaving strips across half the tart. (If dough strips become too soft, freeze until firm.) Return to center, and repeat with remaining strips to form a 6-point star pattern. Freeze until ready to use.
• Bring the water, Cognac, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, cinnamon, zest, and cloves to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add apricots, prunes, and cranberries; reduce heat, and simmer gently until fruit softens but has not broken down, about 20 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a measuring cup; reserve fruit and liquid separately. Let both cool. Discard vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and cloves. (If you have more than 2 cups liquid, simmer in a small saucepan until reduced; it's fine if you have slightly less than 2 cups.)
• Spread cooled fruit mixture evenly in tart shell, and brush with 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid. Combine egg yolk and cream; brush along top edge of tart. Carefully slide frozen lattice on top of tart, centering over filling, and press edges to seal. Trim excess dough. Brush top of lattice with egg wash. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer tart to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F, and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 40 minutes more. (If crust browns too quickly, tent with foil.) Brush tart with 1/2 cup more cooking liquid. Let cool on a wire rack. Unmold; serve with crème fraîche.

INDIVIDUAL DRIED-FRUIT TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Have ready six 4-inch fluted tartlet pans with nonremovable bottoms.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out six 4 1/2-inch-round circles. Transfer the circles to prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic; transfer to refrigerator to chill.
• Place the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Place pan over medium-high heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook, uncovered, without stirring. As the water evaporates, the sugar will begin to caramelize. Once the sugar starts to brown, swirl the pan occasionally so the sugar caramelizes evenly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until caramel is light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Working quickly, divide caramel among tart pans, covering the bottoms evenly. Set the tart pans aside.
• Arrange the fruit, cut sides up or down, on top of caramel in pans, covering bottoms.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 teaspoon water. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Center the rounds over the fruit in the pans, laying the dough flat and not tucking it in. Using a knife, make a knife slit in each piece of dough. Brush rounds with egg wash. Transfer pans to refrigerator; chill 15 minutes.
• Arrange the tart pans on baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between. Bake until the crusts are golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack until pans are cool enough to handle.
• Using your fingers, gently unstick crusts from rims as needed. Turn out each tart onto a plate, tapping to loosen any fruit. Serve tarts warm or at room temperature.

SALLY DARR'S UPDATED DRIED FRUIT TART

Steps:

• In a saucepan simmer dried fruit and cider, covered, stirring occasionally, until cider is absorbed, about 10-minutes. Cool fruit mixture and chop coarse. In a bowl stir together fruit mixture, walnuts, butter, and 3/4 cup sugar.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out 1 pastry sheet into a 13-inch square and transfer to an 11-inch round tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch and fold toward center of tart, pressing gently against edge of pan. Spread fruit filling evenly in shell.
• Roll out remaining pastry sheet into a 10-inch square and with a saw-toothed pastry wheel cut into 10-by 1/2 inch strips. Weave pastry strips into a lattice pattern over tart and trim overhanging ends to 1/4 inch, tucking them between pastry edge and filling. Brush lattice with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake tart in middle of oven 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown, and cool in pan on a rack.
• Serve tart warm or room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.