For some reason, fruit tarts remind me of sunshine and summertime. Yesterday was a chilly day, albeit not as chilly as it could have been this time of year, but I still found myself longing for a warm summer day. The kind where you lounge around lazily on the porch, drinking lemonade and doing a whole bunch of nothing. Considering that we’re nearing the end of February, it was obvious that any wishes for warmth would be pointless so I decided to engage in a little self-help by baking a fruit tart. Even if I couldn’t get the feel of summer, I could at least get the flavor of summer.
I used blueberries and strawberry preserves in this recipe but you can substitute any berry combination that you like. You can even use frozen berries, like I did. I usually keep a bag of frozen blueberries or cherries in the freezer, especially when they’re out of season. Frozen berries work well in this tart because you don’t need to thaw them before using. Just plop them down into the tart and you’re good to go. Oh, and one more thing- this recipe uses two kinds of fat in the pastry dough. The butter tastes good (shocking, I know) while the shortening makes the crust flaky. If you have a favorite butter pastry dough that tastes great but your crusts are tough, try swapping out a bit of the butter for shortening. Try a butter to shortening ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. That will probably solve the problem. And remember to keep the butter and shortening really cold or else it will melt as you work the dough mixture and the crust will be heavy. I keep them in the fridge right up to the point where I use them.
PEAR BERRY TART
1 1/4 cup flour
6 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
2 teaspoons milk
Combine the flour, butter, shortening, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
Drizzle in the almond extract and 3 tablespoons of the ice water. Pulse to combine.
Pinch a little bit of the mixture between your fingers. If it holds together well, then do not add any more water. If it’s still too dry and crumbly, add the remaining water one tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together when squeezed.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Form into a flattened disk and gently smear the dough, using the heel of your hand, across the board until the disk is elongated by a few inches. Fold in half. Repeat those two steps a couple of times. This helps the fat to become evenly distributed throughout the dough so that when it melts the crust will be delicate and flaky.
Reform the dough into a disk about 6 inches across. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, to allow the butter and shortening to firm up again. Or, you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to one day.
Right before assembling the tart, peel and core the pears. Slice thinly lengthwise and toss with the lemon juice to prevent the pears from turning brown.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly dust your work area with flour. Roll out the dough into a large circle that is a few inches bigger in diameter than a dinner plate. Don’t worry if the edges are uneven.
Carefully fold the dough in half and then in half again. You should have a wedge shape. Place wedge on the parchment paper, with the point in the middle. Carefully unfold the dough.
Take a large dinner plate, turn it upside down and gently press it into the middle of the dough to make an imprint of a circle. Use this circle as a guide for assembling the inside of the tart. Everything should stay inside the circle.
Spread the strawberry preserves on the dough, inside the circle.
Artfully arrange the pear slices, slightly overlapping, on top of the preserves.
Place the blueberries in the center of the circle of pears.
Gently fold the dough outside the circle up over the top of the pears to form a rustic crust. Some of the fruit should still be visible.
Brush the crust with the milk.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden brown.
Allow to cool before serving.
Serves 6.
Revel & Feast 