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    You are here: Home / Pastry / Fruit Tart

    Fruit Tart

    July 27, 2020 By Sam 21 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    collage of full fruit tart from different angles

    My homemade Fruit Tart recipe is served on a crisp, slightly crumbly, chocolate-brushed shortbread crust, filled with homemade pastry cream, and decorated with fresh glazed fruit. Recipe includes a how-to video to walk you through all of the steps!

    overhead view of fruit tart

    There’s not a whole lot of sleep happening in the Sugar Spun Run household right now. Luke has four top teeth trying to break through and it’s made for a lot of crankiness, a lot of tears, and very, very little sleep.

    I don’t do well without my sleep. I’m dropping everything, forgetting things, and Zach found the scissors in the refrigerator yesterday and I still don’t know how that happened. So I’m really, really hoping there are no typos in today’s recipe, but I can’t make any promises. Fortunately, this fruit tart recipe was perfected before I was in this foggy, sleepy state, so I can at least assure you that it’s sound. Now, please have a little grace with me if you find any typos, but let’s get into why you’re here and talk tarts.

    There are three main components when making a fresh fruit tart:

    • A crisp, firm pastry crust with a buttery, crumbly crumb.
    • Rich, smooth, vanilla pastry cream.
    • Fresh fruit. 

    Let’s start with the pastry crust, which is a bit different from classic pie crusts you’re used to. While I typically start this baking process with the pastry cream (it needs to chill for several hours), let’s tackle this tart from the bottom up. 

    two images of tart dough. left: crumbly dough in food processor; right: rolling tart dough into tart pan with rolling pin to trim crust

    Pâté Sucrée (Sweet Pastry Crust)

    Classic fruit tarts are not traditionally served in graham cracker crusts or typical pie crusts, but rather a French-style shortcrust known as pâté sucrée, which translates to “sweet dough”. It uses a higher ratio of sugar, a splash of vanilla extract, and an egg and it is similar to my favorite shortbread cookie. It is more reminiscent of a cookie than the American pie doughs you might be used to.

    Many recipes use an egg yolk and then add ice water, but I have found the best results using a whole egg and not adding water. This is also one of the rare instances where I recommend using a cold egg rather than a room temperature one. Keep all of your ingredients as cold as possible to keep the sides of the tart from falling as it bakes.

    While you can make your crust using a pastry cutter or a box-grater (like I do with my puff pastry), I prefer to use a food processor. This cleanly and quickly distributes the butter, keeping your ingredients nice and cold and making for an easy to handle and perfectly crisp crust. 

    spreading chocolate over tart crust

    How to Keep a Fruit Tart From Becoming Soggy

    Preventing a soggy crust is simple and this method adds some great extra flavor. Brush the inside of your baked, cooled crust with a bit of melted chocolate, then let this harden in the refrigerator for several minutes before filling with pastry cream.

    Not only will the chocolate layer serve as a protective shell that keeps moisture off of your pastry, it adds a nice pop of chocolate flavor that beautifully accents the tart, too. Dark chocolate is my preference, but semisweet, milk, or even white chocolate could be used instead.

    Spreading pastry cream over chocolate brushed tart crust

    Pastry Cream

    I’ve shared my classic pastry cream recipe before on its own and in my cream puffs and eclairs recipe. It makes an appearance again here as the quintessential fruit tart filling. While it would’ve been easy to use a full batch from my original recipe and refer you to that recipe, I found using that much pastry cream was just too much (something I never thought I’d say). Instead, I’ve scaled it down to be the perfect amount for a 9″ tart pan (though it would also work for an 8″ or 10″ pan). 

    Your pastry cream will need to cool completely before being used in your tart, this takes at least two hours so I recommend making this first. I have some notes below on how to make several days in advance. Oh, and you’ll need 3 egg yolks for this recipe, no egg whites. Save those egg whites to make meringues or put them towards my lemon cake recipe!

    The Best Fruits For Fruit Tart

    You can use essentially any fruit you would like, but if you are using a particularly juicy fruit (like ripe peach slices or mango) I recommend waiting until shortly before serving to add.

    These are a few of my favorite fruit choices:

    • Strawberries. These are a must for me.
    • Blueberries
    • Kiwi slices
    • Blackberries
    • Raspberries
    • Mandarin orange sections
    • Mango
    • Grapes
    • Apricots

    Array of fruit: strawberry and kiwi slices, blackberries and blueberries

    Shiny Fruit Glaze

    After assembling your tart, you can lightly brush the fruit with a bit of apple jelly or apricot jelly that’s been melted with a splash of water. This adds a gorgeous sheen and a nice added extra hint of slightly tart sweetness. Many bakeries add a glaze to their fruits topping this way. 

    Storing & Making in Advance

    Store in an airtight container (I usually wrap mine in plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for up to two days (longer than this and the fruit tends to weep quite a bit).

    If you wish to prepare the fruit tart further in advance than a day or two, I recommend making the components in advance and assembling shortly before serving. The tart crust can be made up to 5 days in advance of serving and stored in an airtight container (or wrapped in plastic wrap) at room temperature. The pastry cream can be made up to 3 days in advance of serving, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

    Several hours or even a day before serving, assemble by brushing the inside of the tart crust with chocolate, spreading the pastry cream, and decorating with fruit. Brush with apple jelly if desired and then store in the refrigerator, covered. 

    arranging strawberry slices over pastry cream

    More Recipes to Try:

    • Strawberry Shortcake
    • Chocolate Pie
    • Eton Mess
    • Fruit Galette Recipe
    • Banana Cream Pie

    Enjoy! And please pay no mind to the dark circles under my eyes in the video! 

    Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video in the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make these in my own kitchen! 

    overhead view of fruit tart

    Fruit Tart

    A beautiful homemade Fruit Tart served on a crisp, slightly crumbly, chocolate brushed shortbread crust, filled with homemade pastry cream, and decorated with fresh glazed fruit. Recipe includes a how-to video to walk you through all of the steps!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, French
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Chilling Time: 3 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 8 slices
    Calories: 461kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    PASTRY CREAM

    • ½ cup whole milk (118ml)
    • ⅔ cup heavy cream (158ml)
    • ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar divided (50g + 2 Tbsp)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 large egg yolks room temperature
    • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cut into 4 pieces
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    TART CRUST

    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190g)
    • ½ cup powdered sugar (65g)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter very cold and cut into 8 pieces (113g)
    • 1 large egg cold preferred
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    FOR ASSEMBLY

    • ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips melted (may substitute milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate) (45g)
    • 3 cups Fruit of your choice I usually need approximately 3-4 cups of fruit. I recommend a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Kiwis, blackberries, and mandarin slices are other good options.
    • 2 Tablespoons apple jelly optional
    • 1 teaspoon water optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Medium-sized saucepan
    • Fine Mesh Strainer
    • 9” tart pan
    • Food Processor
    • Rolling Pin
    • Pie weights
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    PASTRY CREAM¹

    • Combine milk, cream, ¼ cup (50g) sugar, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 10 minutes.
      ½ cup whole milk, ⅔ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
    • In a separate medium-sized bowl vigorously whisk together egg yolks and remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar for about 15 seconds. Sprinkle cornstarch over the mixture and whisk again until slightly thickened (about 30 seconds).
      3 large egg yolks, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
    • Measure about ⅓ cup of (slightly cooled) cream mixture and slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture while constantly whisking. This is to temper your eggs and keep them from cooking! While still whisking, gradually drizzle in the remainder of your cream mixture until completely combined.
    • Pour mixture back into saucepan and return to the stovetop over medium heat. Whisk frequently until thickened almost to a pudding-like consistency (mixture may simmer, this will take several minutes) and immediately remove from heat.
    • Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. Add butter, one piece at a time, whisking after each addition until completely combined. Whisk in vanilla extract.
      2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cut into 4 pieces, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Allow to cool for about 20 minutes at room temperature, then cover by placing a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours. While this is chilling, prepare the tart crust, as it will need to chill for a total of 90 minutes.

    Tart Crust

    • Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the basin of a food processor².
      1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
    • Scatter butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (about 10 pulses).
      8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
    • In a small dish, whisk together egg and vanilla extract and drizzle over flour mixture. Pulse again until dough just begins to cling together and holds together when pressed with your thumb and forefinger (see image in post or video), about 15 one-second pulses.
      1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Form dough into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour.
    • Roll chilled dough into a 10-11” disc and form into a 9” tart pan. Prick multiple times with a fork and then take a large piece of parchment paper and carefully form it into your tart crust (if your crust is being damaged as you try to do this, just chill your dough and then fit with the parchment paper). Fill parchment paper with pie weights or dry beans, and make sure you are using enough parchment that you can easily lift it and the weights from the tart. See video for visual if needed. Transfer to freezer for 30 minutes to prevent shrinking. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F (190C).
    • Once dough has chilled and oven is preheated, transfer to 375F/190C oven (I’ve found it can be tricky moving a tart pan with a removable bottom and sometimes like to bake mine on a cookie sheet to easily remove it from the oven) and bake for 20 minutes or edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown. Carefully remove parchment paper and pie weights and bake another 5 minutes until light golden brown all over. Allow to cool before assembling.

    ASSEMBLY

    • Once tart crust has cooled, spread or brush (with a pastry brush) a thin layer of chocolate over the bottom and up the sides of the tart crust. Place this in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes for the chocolate to harden.
      ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
    • Once chocolate is hardened, remove from fridge and evenly spread chilled pastry cream in the shell. Arrange fruit over the cream as desired.
      3 cups Fruit of your choice
    • If desired, melt together apple jelly and water for 10-20 seconds and stir well. Use a pastry brush to brush or dab jelly over the surface of the fruit for a glaze. Serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days.
      2 Tablespoons apple jelly, 1 teaspoon water

    Notes

    ¹The pastry cream will need to chill for at least 2 hours after preparing. It can be made as far as 3 days in advance of assembling your tart and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
    ²Alternatively you may use a pastry cutter to make this recipe, or even use a box grater to grate the butter into the dough like I do in my puff pastry recipe.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 906IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    fruit tart on marble board

     
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gretchen

      December 11, 2022 at 7:42 pm

      Hey Sam. I am making this for a birthday party at 11AM. Can I make the tart shell a few days in advance so I can quickly assemble the tart the day of?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 11, 2022 at 9:16 pm

        Hi Gretchen! That should work just fine. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Patty N.

      July 17, 2022 at 11:49 pm

      I usually love your recipes but I was disappointed in this one. The pastry cream was unspreadable out of the frigerator….I let it warm up, working it with a spoon…..but there was barely enough to cover the tart shell. The taste was too chocolate forward and lacking the luxurious pastry cream.

      Tart shell was good.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 18, 2022 at 10:05 am

        O no! I’m so sorry this happened, Patty! It sounds like the pastry cream may have been thickened a little bit too much. You can thin it by whisking in some more heavy cream, or if you’d like more cream you can increase the recipe for it next time. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Sally

      February 16, 2021 at 6:23 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely perfect! It took some work, but was totally worth it XD
      I actually used lemon extract in the cream instead of vanilla. It added a little extra zing.
      Thanks so much for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 16, 2021 at 1:55 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sally! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Uma g

      August 24, 2020 at 9:41 pm

      Can the crust recipe be used to make mini tart shells?

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 25, 2020 at 5:08 pm

        Sure thing! 🙂

        Reply
        • Emily

          July 15, 2022 at 5:48 pm

          I loved the recipe! I was able to figure out how much sugar to use from the directions, but it isn’t listed in the pastry cream ingredients.

        • Sam

          July 16, 2022 at 6:49 pm

          I’m so sorry for the confusion, Emily! I wonder if it’s some sort of glitch. I will go make sure it’s corrected and updated for future use. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

    5. kaur d

      July 28, 2020 at 6:33 am

      fruit tart receipes have always doodled my taste buds. would love to share this with my family this weekend.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 28, 2020 at 9:22 am

        I hope everyone loves it! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Sam

      July 27, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      Hi Susan! It is in the recipe card, just above the ingredients 🙂

      Reply
    7. Susan

      July 27, 2020 at 2:04 pm

      Nevermind, it finally popped up after all the ads were finished.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 27, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        There is an ad right before the video plays, but it should only play for about 3 seconds before you can skip it. Unfortunately the ads are necessary so that I can keep the content (all my recipes and videos) free to you, thank you for understanding 🙂

        Reply
    8. Catherine Santoro

      July 27, 2020 at 11:27 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for this wonderful recipe for the fruit tart. It’s a great idea to put the chocolate in and let it harden so that we can have a nice crispy crust it’s so important for that feature to be had because nothing worse than a soggy crust. Thank you so much again for all your recipes. Five stars.catherine Santoro

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 27, 2020 at 2:18 pm

        You’re so welcome, Catherine! Thank you for using my recipes, I appreciate your comment! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Renee Ackley

      July 27, 2020 at 11:20 am

      Sounds amazing! I don’t think I could’ve written my name much less written out this entire recipe when my son was a baby! You are a true baking soldier! Lots of love and wishes for a good nights sleep!

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 27, 2020 at 11:27 am

        Thank you so much, Renee! It’s a lot of work, but I have some help so it’s very nice. 🙂

        Reply
        • Gretchen Quast

          December 11, 2022 at 9:23 pm

          Wow thank you for getting back to me so quickly! That’s super kind of you Sam. 🙂 How would you recommend storing it? And should I put the chocolate shell on it as well and store it with the pastry crust and the chocolate shell or should I do the chocolate shell the day of?
          Thank you again for your help. I’m making this for my sister-in-law who is from Brazil and absolutely loves fruit tarts. I’ve never made a pie or a tart before so this is totally new. But I’ve made a few of your recipes and they have been massive hits. Thank you again!!

        • Sam

          December 11, 2022 at 9:29 pm

          I would just wrap it tightly and store at room temperature. You can add the chocolate shell right before adding your other fillings. 🙂

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