Description
These stunning Parisian Fruit Tarts feature a tender, buttery cookie dough crust (pâte sablée) filled with homemade vanilla pastry cream and topped with an artful arrangement of fresh glazed fruits including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, and pineapple. Perfect for special occasions, they’re surprisingly achievable for home bakers and can be made in stages for easy entertaining.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough Tart Crust:
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted after measuring
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract (optional, but adds a lovely brightness!)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
For the Pastry Cream:
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Topping and Glaze:
- About 5 cups assorted fruit and berries: rinsed and dried blueberries; picked over but unwashed raspberries; rinsed, drained, hulled, and halved small strawberries; peeled, halved, and sliced kiwis; peeled and cored pineapple cut into ¾-inch dice; peeled and diced mango
- ¾ cup apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed until well mixed—don’t rush this! Then increase to medium speed and beat until lightened and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the extracts, then add the egg yolks one at a time, beating smooth after each addition. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and beater (you don’t want any butter pockets hiding!), then beat in the flour on the lowest speed until just combined.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead it 3 or 4 times to make it smooth and cohesive. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Chill for a couple of hours before rolling—this is non-negotiable, folks! The dough needs this rest time to firm up and let the flour hydrate.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Take one piece of dough out and let it soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes—you want it pliable but still cold. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface and line your tart pan, trimming off the excess dough at the rim. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Pierce the bottom of each crust all over with a fork (this prevents puffing) and pop them back in the fridge to chill while the oven heats.
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and half the sugar (that’s about 2½ tablespoons) to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally so nothing scorches on the bottom.
While the milk is heating, whisk the remaining sugar with the flour in a separate bowl until combined, then whisk in the egg yolks until smooth and pale yellow. This mixture might look a little thick—that’s exactly what you want!
Here’s where your technique matters! Whisk about a third of the simmering milk mixture into the yolk mixture—this tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble. Return the remaining milk to a simmer, then whisk in the yolk mixture. Keep whisking constantly until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Once it’s boiling, keep whisking and let it bubble for about 30 seconds. This cooks out the flour taste and activates its thickening power.
Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Scrape the cream into a glass bowl and press plastic wrap directly against the surface—this prevents that dreaded skin from forming. Chill until completely cold, at least 2 hours.
After the pastry cream is completely cold, it’s time to prep your fruit! Layer a little of each fruit at a time in a large bowl, repeating the layers until all fruit is used. This gentle layering method cuts down on mixing and bruising the delicate berries.
Combine the apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and stir well. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan (this removes any chunks) and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally. Let the glaze reduce to about ⅔ of its original volume—it should look thick and glossy. Pour into a shallow bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. You want it liquid enough to coat the fruit but not so hot that it cooks the berries.
Carefully spread about ⅙ of the chilled pastry cream in each tart crust. Here’s the crucial part: DON’T whisk or beat the pastry cream or it might liquefy and get runny! Just scrape it gently into the crust and use a small metal offset spatula to spread it evenly across the bottom.
Drizzle the cooled glaze over the fruit and use a large rubber spatula to gently toss the fruit until everything is coated with that gorgeous, shiny glaze. Now for the fun part—artfully arrange the glazed fruit over the pastry cream, making sure it comes all the way to the edge of the crust and mounds beautifully in the center.
Carefully unmold the tarts by removing the outer ring, then slide them from the pan bases to a serving platter.
Notes
- Prevent Shrinkage: After rolling out your dough, let the lined tart pans rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before baking. This relaxes the gluten and prevents shrinking.
- No Tart Pans? You can use a muffin tin! Just press the dough into the cups and trim the edges. They won’t be as tall, but they’ll still be delicious.
- Pastry Cream Insurance: If your pastry cream gets a few lumps (it happens to everyone!), just strain it through a fine-mesh sieve while it’s still warm. Problem solved!
- Skip the Straining: If you don’t have a strainer for the glaze, just scoop out the big chunks of fruit from the preserves and proceed. It won’t be quite as smooth, but it’ll still work beautifully.
- Berry Hack: Never wash raspberries! They’re like tiny sponges and will get mushy. Just look them over and remove any stems or questionable ones.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes + Chilling Time: 2 hours minimum
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French