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Classic Fruit Tart

Top view of a freshly baked classic fruit tart with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.

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3 from 2 reviews

There is nothing more classic than a fresh Fruit Tart. While impressive looking, this tart is actually quite easy to put together. It starts with a crisp and sweet pastry shell, that is then filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream and topped with an assortment of fresh fruit. It can be glazed for the final finishing touch or left as is. Either way, this is a show-stopping dessert welcome at any dinner or gathering.

Ingredients

For Pastry:

  • 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour, more for work surface
  • 1/2 cup (50 grams) almond flour
  • ⅓ cup (40 grams) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 8 tablespoons (110 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg, beaten

For Pastry Cream:

  • ⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (28 grams) cornstarch
  • Pinch coarse kosher salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups (454 grams) whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To Assemble:

  • ¼ cup apricot preserves
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • Assorted fresh fruit, washed, completely dried, and sliced if desired

Instructions

Make and Bake the Tart Pastry:

  1. Add the flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add in the softened butter and pulse 5 to 7 times, or until the butter is broken down into tiny pebbles.
  2. With the motor running, add in the egg and let the dough process until it forms a cohesive ball around the blade, about 1 minute.
  3. Remove the tart pastry from the processor and shape it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap, then chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place an oven rack in the lower part of the oven.
  5. Place the chilled tart pastry on a flour-dusted work surface. Roll out the pastry dough to an 11-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan.
  6. Line the tart shell with a round piece of parchment paper, then add pie weights (I recommend dry rice or beans or lentils), making sure to push the pie weights to the edges.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully remove the parchment and pie weights. Use a fork to dock the crust so steam can escape while it finishes baking. Return to the oven and bake until the pastry is fully cooked through about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the Pastry Cream:

  1. In a heavy-bottomed medium pot, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add in the egg yolks and whisk vigorously for one minute until the mixture is lightened.
  2. Whisk in the milk until combined.
  3. Turn on the heat to medium. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly and occasionally using a rubber spatula to scrape up any thickened custard from the edges of the pan, until the custard has thickened and large bubbles are forming throughout, about 8 minutes.
  4. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the pastry cream through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, using the spatula to push all of it through the strainer.
  5. Whisk the butter and the vanilla extract into the pastry cream until the butter is melted and fully combined.
  6. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream and let it cool until it’s no longer steaming, about 15 minutes. Transfer the slightly warm pastry cream to the inside of the baked tart pastry shell. Let cool to room temperature before covering and transferring to the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Assemble the Tart:

  1. Place the fresh fruit on top of the pastry cream, arranging as desired.
  2. In a small pot, combine the apricot preserves and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over low heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes. Strain the mixture through a clean fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl. Set aside any preserves left in the strainer for another use. If the mixture is very thick, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the viscosity of heavy cream. 
  3. Using a pastry brush, brush a light coating of the apricot glaze onto the fruit.
  4. Refrigerate the tart until ready to serve. Serve within 1 day.

Equipment

Notes

This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.

When you glaze your fruit, the glaze should be slightly warm. If it cools down, gently heat it up again. If it gets too thick, add more water.

Use only the best-quality berries and fruit that are just ripe for this tart. Avoid overly ripe fruit.

Make sure your fruit is as dry as possible! It's important to wash fruit, of course. But make sure to drain and then dry the fruit on paper towels to absorb any excess liquid. Introducing excess liquid will compromise the structure of the tart.

Make ahead tips: The pastry and the pastry cream can be made up to 2 days in advance. The fruit tart should be served the same day it is assembled together.

Originally published in 2020, this recipe has been regularly re-tested and updated as needed to ensure it remains perfect.