Tart Of Spiced Fruit Recipes

BAKED CUSTARD TART WITH SPICED APPLE

Steps:

• Place the flour, icing (powdered) sugar and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
• Cube the cold butter and add to the flour. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Lightly beat the egg and add to the food processor. Process until a ball forms around the blades of the food processor.
• Remove the pastry from the food processor and press into a large flat circle, approximately 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 160C Bake. Grease a 23cm (9 inch) loose-bottomed pie or flan tin.
• Take the pastry out of the plastic wrap and gently roll between two sheets of parchment paper until it is 2-3 mm thick. Gently peel off the top layer of parchment paper and carefully flip the pastry over into the pie tin. Remove the parchment paper and carefully line the pie tin with the pastry. Trim the edges with a sharp knife.
• Line the pastry with the parchment paper again and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake blind for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the paper and beans and continue to bake for a further 7-8 minutes until lightly golden in the centre.
• Remove the pastry from the oven and set aside while you make the filling.
• Peel and core the apples and cut off the very top and bottom. Using a mandolin or kitchen slicer, finely slice the apples horizontally into rounds. Cut each round in half so you have thin crescent shape pieces of apple. Place the apple slices into a bowl and gently toss in the lemon juice.
• Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over a medium heat until steaming, but do not allow to boil.
• Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, custard powder, vanilla and nutmeg together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.
• Pour the milk and cream into the egg yolks mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly. Carefully pour into the pastry case.
• Very gently lay the apple slices on to the custard mixture, overlapping slightly. Start from the outside and work inwards in a circular pattern until all the custard mixture is covered with apple.
• Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over the apple.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before refrigerating for at least 2 hours before serving.

FRESH FRUIT TARTS

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream. In the bowl of a food processor with a blade attachment, pulse the flour, butter, sugar and salt until no big chunks of butter remain. Slowly add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture. Blend to combine but don't overwork the dough.
• Remove the dough and, turning it out onto a lightly floured surface, knead it 4 or 5 times to incorporate.
• Divide the dough in half if making one large tart. Divide the dough into four pieces if making mini tarts. Flatten the dough pieces into discs with your hands, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes and up to overnight. (Freeze any remaining pieces for another project for up to 3 months.)
• Make the pastry cream: Put a damp kitchen towel under a medium bowl and whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the sugar until the yolks are lighter in color, about 2 minutes. (The towel will ensure the bowl doesn't slide around.) Add the cornstarch and salt, whisk again, and set the bowl aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and the remaining sugar 1/4 cup sugar and cook until the mixture almost boils, 4 to 5 minutes. With one hand, start whisking the egg yolk mixture; with the other hand, slowly drizzle the hot milk into the bowl, whisking until all the milk is incorporated.
• Pour the custard back into the saucepan and continue cooking, stirring constantly, on medium-high heat, until the mixture is thick and one bubble plops up on top, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the custard from the heat and pour into a clean medium bowl. Don't scrape the pot if the bottom looks burned or like scrambled eggs. Now, stir in the butter and vanilla. Keep stirring until the butter melts. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl so it is touching the pastry cream, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Bake the tart shell or shells: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is a circle (about 9 inches across and 1/2 inch thick for one large tart and about 6 inches across and 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick for four mini tarts.
• Lay the dough onto the tart pan, and then using your fingers, gently press it down. Try not to tear the dough or make it too thin. Ideally, it should be an even thickness all the way across.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully trim the edges so the dough is perfectly even with the top of the tart shell (see Cook's Note). Place the tart shell on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork, poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the tart shell to keep bubbles from forming during baking. Refrigerate the tart shell for 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tart shells if using.
• Remove the pan or pans from the fridge and lay a piece of parchment over the chilled dough. Fill the uncooked tart shell with pie weights or dried beans or uncooked rice.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then, using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Remove the pie weights and parchment. Return the baking sheet to the oven, continuing to bake until the crust is golden brown, 5 to 8 more minutes. Let the pan or pans cool on a wire rack.
• Make the glaze and finish the tart: In a medium pot over medium heat, cook the apricot jam and water. Stir with a fork as it cooks until the mixture is a thin, shiny liquid, about 3 minutes.
• Take the pastry cream from the fridge and, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat the pastry cream to loosen it up. Spread the pastry cream in a thin 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer on the bottom of the tart shell.
• Carefully cut the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, mangos and figs. Arrange the fruit so there is no visible pastry cream. (You can make the tart look awesome by laying the fruit in cool patterns.)
• Once the fruit is arranged, use a soft pastry brush to paint it with the warm apricot glaze. Don't leave any bare spots. Make sure to glaze all the fruit. Take your time.
• Cut and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

SPICED HOT FRUIT

Steps:

• Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In an ungreased shallow 3-1/2-qt. baking dish, combine the pineapple, apricots, peaches and pears; set aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger and reserved pineapple juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. Pour over fruit. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

TART OF SPICED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Simmer figs and raisins in the wine for 30 minutes. Peel, core and slice the apples and pears. Add them, together with the sugar, almonds, and spices to the figs and raisins and simmer until the apples and pears are soft. Line a dish with pie dough. Fill with the fruit mixture and bake for 1/2 hour or until pastry is cooked.

PLUM TART WITH SPICED CRUST

Steps:

• To make the crust, place the pecans, cinnamon and orange zest in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and follow the instructions in the first step of the tart-dough recipe as above, omitting the lemon zest. Proceed with the dough's second step.
• Scrape the vanilla bean into the half-and-half, add the sugar, egg yolks and flour, whisk well and refrigerate. Toss the plums with the sugar.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough and fit into 12-inch tart pan. Prick the dough lightly with a fork. Arrange the plums in concentric circles, using as many layers as necessary. Gently pour the half-and-half mixture over the tart; the mixture will not cover the plums completely, but it should be evenly distributed. Bake until the custard is set, 45 to 50 minutes.