Rustic Three Berry Tart Recipes

FABULOUS THREE-BERRY TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place animal crackers in food processor; cover and process about 1 minute or until crumbs are finely ground. In medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, butter, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Press mixture in bottom and up side of ungreased 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and the lemon juice with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Add whipping cream; beat on high speed 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Spread mixture in tart shell. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Arrange berries on chilled filling. In small microwavable bowl, microwave jam uncovered on High about 20 seconds or until warm. Stir in orange juice; mix well with fork. Brush strawberry glaze over berries.

CLASSIC FRENCH FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the Crust: Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.
• Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium pot, heat the milk until just boiling. Remove the pot from heat. While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.) Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent "scrambled eggs," especially on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles. (See note below if you see any coagulated bits of egg in your custard.) Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it down in the bowl so it sits directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill until cold, a few hours (or up to 2 days before serving).
• Assemble the Tart: Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart shell to a serving platter. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. (Alternatively, heat it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.) If the jam is especially chunky, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
• Note: Avoid melon and other fruit with high moisture content, like sliced citrus. These will wilt quickly and seep moisture into the pastry cream. Also avoid oxidizing fruit like apples and bananas; these fruits will turn brown. Berries should be fully dried after rinsing (raspberries should not be washed) and strawberries should be sliced.
• Note: If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving. The tart can be assembled and refrigerated up to one day before serving.

RUSTIC BERRY-CREAM TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450ºF.
• Prepare and bake crust in 9-inch pie plate as directed on package for one-crust baked shell. Cool completely.
• Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Spoon into crust; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Top with berries; drizzle with chocolate.
• Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

RUSTIC FRUIT TART

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add oil and milk, tossing with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour., In another bowl, combine the rhubarb, raspberries, sugar and tapioca; let stand for 15 minutes. Unwrap dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with waxed paper and roll the dough into an 11-in. circle. Discard waxed paper., Spoon fruit mixture into the center of dough to within 2 in. of the edges. Fold edges of dough over fruit, leaving center uncovered. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove to a wire rack. Combine the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over warm tart.

RUSTIC BERRY TART

Steps:

• TO PREPARE CRUST:.
• Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
• Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces.
• Add oil and stir with a fork to blend.
• Mix 1/4 cup water, egg yolk and 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or vinegar) in a measuring cup.
• Add just enough of the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork, until the dough clumps together. (Add a little water if the dough seems too dry.)
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times.
• Form the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425°F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and coat with cooking spray.
• TO PREPARE FILLING AND ASSEMBLE TART:.
• Spread almonds in a small baking pan. Bake until light golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Combine whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda) and the toasted almonds in a food processor or blender; process until the almonds are ground.
• Roll the dough into a rough 13- to 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, about 1/4 inch thick. Roll it back over the rolling pin, brush off excess flour, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Spread the almond mixture over the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around.
• Toss berries with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar (or Splenda) and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a large bowl; spoon over the almond mixture.
• Fold the border up and over the filling, pleating as necessary.
• Blend the reserved egg white and 1 tablespoon water with a fork; brush lightly over the tart rim. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
• Bake the tart for 15 minutes at 425°F.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Leaving the tart on the parchment (or foil), carefully slide it onto a wire rack. Let cool.
• Shortly before serving, melt jam in a small saucepan over low heat; brush over the berries.
• Cut the tart into wedges and serve.
• MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare crust through Step 1; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• INGREDIENT NOTE: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
• TIP: To separate eggs safely: Use an egg separator, an inexpensive gadget found in cookware stores; separating eggs by passing the yolk back and forth between pieces of eggshell or your hands can expose the eggs to bacteria.