Summer Fruit Torte Recipes

SUMMER FRUIT CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry:
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
• For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas) .
• For the filling:
• Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
• Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.
• Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUMMER FRUIT & MASCARPONE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll 1 pastry sheet, but leave it on the parchment. Place it on a baking tray, dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar, then cover with another sheet of parchment and another baking tray. Pour baking beans into the tray to weigh it down, or use empty cans. Bake for 30 mins, then check if the pastry is golden all over. If not, return for another 5 mins or so. Repeat with the other pastry sheet (or cook both together if you have enough trays). Once out of the oven, trim the edges with a large, sharp knife. Leave to cool.
• Softly whip the mascarpone, cream, vanilla and remaining icing sugar, then transfer half to a disposable piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm round nozzle (or just snip off the corner). Pipe blobs of the mascarpone cream over the surface of one piece of pastry, right up to the edges. Top with half the fruit and dust with a little icing sugar.
• Top with the second piece of pastry, more mascarpone cream (refilling the bag when you need to), the remaining fruit, a dusting of icing sugar and, finally, some mint leaves. Use a serrated knife to cut through the layers without squashing the whole tart. Best served within an hour or two, but leftovers will keep for up to two days in the fridge.

SUMMER FRUIT TART

Steps:

• For crust, beat butter until smooth. Add icing sugar and lemon zest and cream together. Stir in egg yolks, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Sift pastry flour and salt into butter mixture and stir just until dough comes together (turn out onto a board and bring together with your hands, if needed). Shape dough into a disc and chill for at least 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle a 9-inch fluted tart pan (with 1 ½ inch sides) with a removable bottom with a little flour and line with pastry. Trim edges and press pastry up, so it stands about ¼ inch higher than the sides of the pan. Dock pastry with a fork and chill 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 °F. Bake pastry shell for 18 to 20 minutes, until edges are a light golden brown and center appears dry. Allow to cool.
• For filling, whisk together 1/3 cup raspberry purée, lemon juice, eggs, yolks, and sugar. Whisk in butter and add lemon zest. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk steadily, but gently, until curd becomes thick and pale and creamy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup raspberry purée and pour into cooled pastry shell.
• For fruit, slice peaches or nectarines and apricots and toss in lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Slice strawberries in half. Arrange fruit on chilled tart up to 2 hours before serving and chill until ready to serve.

FROZEN LIME TORTE WITH SUMMER FRUIT

Steps:

• For Nut crust:
• Finely chop first 4 ingredients in processor, using on/off turns. Add butter and blend until moist crumbs form. Transfer 3 1/2 cups nut mixture to 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides; transfer remaining nut mixture to 6-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly up sides, then over bottom of each pan, covering completely. Freeze.
• For Lime Filling:
• Combine first 5 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until candy thermometer registers 170°F, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add white chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Freeze lime mixture until cold and thickened, whisking occasionally, about 45 minutes.
• Beat cream in large bowl until stiff. Pour lime mixture over whipped cream; using rubber spatula, fold lime mixture and cream together. Divide between crust. Cover and freeze overnight.
• For Blackberry Sauce:
• Bring all ingredients to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring frequently. Cool slightly. Puree mixture in batches in processor. Strain through sieve set over bowl, pressing on solids. Chill until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
• For Assembly:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in large bowl until peaks form. Run sharp knife around pan sides to loosen torte tiers. Release pan sides. Center 6-inch tier on its pan bottom atop 10-inch tier. Spread whipped cream over sides (not tops) of tiers, covering crusts completely. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in plastic; keep frozen.)
• Transfer tiered torte to platter. Mound fruit decoratively atop torte. Garnish with mint. To serve, slide spatula under 6-inch tier and transfer to work surface. Cut tiers into wedges. Serve with sauce and additional fruit.

FRESH FRUIT TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.( you may do this as individuals as well).
• For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.
• For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.
• Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into 8 wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.