Fresh fruit tarts

Four Inch Tartes individuelles

West Michigan is known for it’s grey skies and lack of sunny days during the winter months, but lately I’ve been making a variety of fresh fruit tarts which simply add their own version of sunshine and brightness to the seemingly dreary weather. The good news is when we do have a sunny day, it’s a beauty! And some of our sunsets are absolutely gorgeous. Ahhhh . . . . there’s something about a Michigan sky.

Tartelettes Petits Fours

While I’d prefer to use fresh local summer berries and stone fruits for my fresh fruit tarts, we’re fortunate to have pretty decent berries coming to us from California as well as citrus and all manner of tropical fruits from various parts of the country and the world. It’s interesting that most requests I receive for fresh fruit tarts happen during the winter months. I guess it’s just that desire for something colorful and delicious, and there’s nothing wrong with that!

TWO and a half inch Tartes individuelles

I love the pinkish-orange of the Cara-Cara variant of the navel orange - just like one of our beautiful Michigan sunsets, especially when paired with the brilliant red of raspberries. And the blackberries lean more toward the end-of-sunset dusk when things start darkening into the deep purple hues of the night sky.

Nine inch Tarte

The nuts and bolts of this type of tart include a standard pâte sucrée crust, a classic crème pâtissiére and, of course, an assortment of fresh fruit. Whatever suits your fancy.

Especially when I’m assembling a large tart, I like to do a mock up of my fruit lay out before actually placing the fruit on top of the crème. Here I’m using raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and Cara-Cara citrus. You might notice the pomegranate seeds at the top - I didn’t end up using them for my own aesthetic reasons (artistic license, right?).

Working on the layout

Assembly in process

I must say that finishing a fresh fruit tart gives one quite a sense of satisfaction. And, of course, one hopes that the recipients will be just as satisfied!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. Here’s to many more baking adventures! And may you enjoy your own sunsets wherever you are.

Cherry hazelnut clafoutis tart

More Michigan cherries comin' your way!

As the season continues and other stone fruits and blueberries are starting to show their faces, I just had to make something using Michigan cherries before they're no longer available.

We were slated to attend a Bastille Day celebration put on by the GR chapter of L'Alliance Française, and I had promised to bring a dessert.  Cherry clafoutis came to mind, this time as a tart.

I lined a 240 mm tart ring with a standard pâte sucrée and blind baked it first.

going into the oven

The filling is very straight forward.

les ingredients

 
Place 3 large eggs into a bowl; whisk in 100 grams sugar, 25 grams almond flour, 150 ml heavy cream, 25 grams melted butter, 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1/2 tablespoon flour and 30 grams hazelnuts (coarsely chopped).

Place 300 grams pitted and halved cherries into the blind baked shell . . .

pour the egg/cream mixture over them . . . .

and bake at 350ºF for 30-40 minutes until the filling is set.

et voilà!

For serving I topped the tart with a hazelnut crumble which I had baked ahead of time and had in my freezer.

 

FYI:  a basic crumble is equal weights flour, sugar and cold, diced butter - make as much as your heart desires.

Add in the same weight of your favorite chopped nut (or less as you see fit) and you have a delicious crunchy topping to complement your tart.

Or add in some citrus zest and your choice of spice like cinnamon, coriander, cardamom or  nutmeg - you get the idea.

Baked or unbaked, you can freeze it to have on hand for lots of things.

Here's to a beautiful summer in Michigan and lots more fruit to come!!  Yes.