Fruit tarts are beautiful and as easy to make as a batch of cookies. So don’t be fooled by their glamour into thinking that they’re challenging. They are sexy and appealing, which is why they cost a fortune at a bakery. With this recipe, the only time you’ll want to look at a store-bought fruit tart is to steal ideas for arranging the fruit!
Choose your favorite fruits. An assortment of berries is easy, appealing, and delicious. I like to add kiwis because they’re pretty and good for holding the berries in place.
There are a few things to be aware of. Plan ahead because the pastry cream needs to cool for 2-3 hours. But if you don’t have the time, you can substitute whipped cream for the filling.. a delicious sacrifice. You’ll need a tart pan with a removable bottom. They are easy to come by in most kitchen supply stores or on Amazon.
I really recommend trying this. You can half the recipe to make a smaller tart to serve 2 people (tart pans come in smaller sizes), or save the whole thing and eat it yourself. It’s that good.
- Almond Flour Crust, 1 recipe
- Butter for greasing tart pan
- Pastry Cream:
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or coconut milk for dairy free
- 4 egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons xylitol, or more to taste
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into 2 pieces (leave out for dairy free and add 1 more egg yolk)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- Fruit Topping:
- 6-7 kiwi fruit, peeled, sliced (not too thin) and halved
- 2 pints strawberries, hulled and cut in half the long way
- 1 pint blackberries
- or substitute any fruit of your choice
- Bake the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9 1/2" x 1" tart pan with a removable bottom. Press almond flour dough into sides and bottom of tart pan. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before filling.
- Make the Pastry Cream:
- Heat the half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until just simmering.
- Meanwhile, add egg yolks, xylitol, and cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture is creamy, about 1 minute.
- When the half-and-half starts to simmer, gradually whisk it into the yolk mixture in the bowl. If you can't whisk and pour at the same time, it's OK if you need to pour a little in, whisk, and pour some more. Taste for sweetness and add a little more xylitol as required.
- Return the entire mixture to the saucepan and simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until a few bubbles burst on the surface. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Put into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold and set. For 2-3 hours. The larger the bowl, the quicker it will cool. May be made 2 days ahead of time.
- Assemble the Tart:
- Gently remove the crust from the tart pan rim by pushing up from the bottom, keeping the bottom part of the tart pan under the crust.
- Add the pastry cream and smooth the top. Decoratively place the fruit on top. Use the bigger pieces around the edge to hold the smaller fruit in place. Berries work great. My fruit tarts never look the same way twice, so have fun and do what appeals to you.
