Tart Of Spiced Fruit Recipes

NO-FUSS FRUIT TART

Steps:

• This is perhaps one of the most useful desserts you can have in your repertoire. Not that it is the job of a dessert to be useful: a dessert exists merely to delight. Still, dinner does need to be made, even when there's precious little time for it, and that should be a delight, too. So here's the deal: there is pitifully little work to be done to make this berry-dazzler of a tart, and enormous pleasure to be derived from its consumption.
• All you do is bash a few graham crackers a day or so in advance and make the base - getting one course out of the way early is my way of managing - then stir lemon curd and cream cheese together, and use this cream to line the crumb-covered tart pan. I use store-bought lemon curd here, but even if it comes out of the jar, it must be of good quality. And when it is whipped into the cream cheese, that cream cheese must be at room temperature, as should the lemon curd in its jar. The combination produces a layer of what tastes like cheesecake cream: light, lemony, luscious.
• I used to put the berries on top of the cream pretty much last-minute, but then I found that a leftover wedge, after the party, looked inviting after being in the refrigerator overnight, and so I now finish assembling the tart ahead of time. But if you prefer to add the fruit nearer to serving, I completely understand.
• Don't feel you must obey the fruit orders too literally: any mixture of berries (or indeed other fruit) would do, and you could well use a smaller amount and top the tart less extravagantly.
• Process the crackers and the butter to a sandy rubble in a food processor and press into the sides and the bottom of a deep-sided fluted tart pan. Put it in the freezer or refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a clean processor bowl, process the cream cheese and lemon curd (or just mix by hand) and spread it into the bottom of the chilled tart pan, covering the base evenly.
• Arrange the fruit gently (so it doesn't sink in too much) on top of the lemony cream cheese in a decorative manner, leaving some of the strawberries unhulled, with their picturesque stalks attached.
• Refrigerator the tart, preferably overnight, or for at least 4 hours. It does need to get properly cold in order to set enough for the tart to be unmolded and sliced easily.
• Make Ahead Note:
• The tart can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, being careful not to press on the filling, and refrigerate. Will keep for around 4 days.
• Freeze Note:
• The tart, without fruit topping, can be frozen for up to 3 months if made with regular cream cheese, but be warned it may "weep" on thawing, so is not ideal for freezing. Open-freeze tart until firm, then wrap (still in its pan) in a double layer of plastic wrap and layer of aluminum foil. To thaw, unwrap and cover loosely with plastic wrap then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Decorate and serve as directed in the recipe.

SPICED FRUIT

Steps:

• Drain pineapple and pears, reserving 1-1/2 cups juice. Place the pineapple, pears and oranges in a bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, cloves and reserved juices; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. , Pour over fruit. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard cinnamon sticks, rosemary and cloves before serving.

FRESH FRUIT TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour, cornmeal and lemon juice to form a dough. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. tart pan with removable bottom. Bake at 425° for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack., For filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and milk until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Arrange berries or fruit over filling. Refrigerate while preparing glaze., For fruit glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, apricot nectar and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Cool; brush over fruit. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers.

CHEF JOHN'S PEACH TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Whisk sugar and Chinese five-spice powder together in a small bowl. Beat egg and water together in another bowl.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter foams, arrange peaches in a single layer in the skillet. Pour sugar mixture over the peaches; cook, turning peaches once, until sugar is melted, bubbling, and syrup has a tan color, about 2 minutes. Transfer peaches and syrup to a bowl to cool completely.
• Cut pie crusts into eight 4 1/2-inch rounds. Set rounds on prepared baking sheet and fold edges of each crust up to form a 1/2-inch rim. Brush each crust with egg mixture.
• Place 2 peach slices, pit-sides facing each other, in the center of each tart. Place 1 peach slice in center, skin-side up, in between the other two peaches. Drizzle excess syrup over the peaches.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbling, about 15 minutes.

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.