Saturday 28 May 2011

French Fruit Tart

I was very excited to know that this month's Random Recipes challenge created by Dom at Belleau Kitchen is all about desserts. If you don't already knew, this is how the challenge works: from the piles of your cook books, select one book at random and then from this book, flip it open to a random page and cook/bake that recipe.

I have several cook books that concentrate on desserts and baking, and the cook book I selected at random couldn't be any more appropriate, and one of my favourites: Desserts by James Martin.

The recipe I selected at random is the beautiful French fruit tart.
This tart is so simple to make, if you're using store-bought puff pastry. If you can make your own puff pastry, congratulations, you may do so.

I think this is one of those recipes that's visually impressive yet easy. Come on, it's (store-bought) puff pastry, melted chocolate, vanilla cream and fresh fruit. I hope you give this a go.

Bon weekend!


French Fruit Tart
Recipe by James Martin
Serves 10

350 g puff pastry
plain flour, for rolling out
1 egg, beaten
85 g white chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 a vanilla pod, seeds only
200 ml double cream, half whipped
100 ml fresh custard
small punnet of medium-sized strawberries, hulled and halved
small punnet of blackberries and raspberries
1 large banana, sliced
small bunch of seedless green and/or black grapes, halved
4 tablespoons smooth apricot jam

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and cut out a rectangle measuring 36 x 20 cm. Place on a baking tray. Using a table knife, score a 1 cm border around the edge, making sure you don't cut the pastry all the way through.

Brush the border with egg was, taking care not to allow any to dribble down the sides because this will prevent the pastry rising evenly. Prick the base of the tart (not the border) with a fork and chill the pastry for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C. Bake the pastry for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Slide onto a wire rack to leave to cool. Once cooled, gently press the centre of the pastry down to leave the frame around the edge.

Melt the chocolate and brush over the bottom of the pastry. Leave to set. Add the vanilla seeds to the cream and fold in the custard. Spoon and spread the cream mixture over the pastry base. Draw shallow lines in the cream mixture to create even sections of the fruit, and arrange the fruit on top so that each section is a contrasting colour.

Heat the jam and, using a pastry brush, glaze the fruit. Allow to set before serving.

33 comments:

  1. how beautiful does this look Michael? wowowowow!!!!! I'm so impressed... thanks so much for taking part x

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  2. You're so good at making dessert...! This looks incredibly yummy, I wish I could have a slice...!!

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  3. This looks amazing! I've been eyeing up a similar tart recipe for a while and now can't decide which recipe to try this one or that one. I love all the different fruit on top, glorious. x

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  4. Charming dinner party treats to show off :)

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  5. this looks amazing! it actually looks like a country's flag :P

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  6. Michael, that's a beauty! It's been years since I've made homemade puff pastry. I'm with you--just use store-bought. There's nothing difficult about it, really, it's just so time-consuming. Life is too short!

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  7. Man, your so freakin talented. I LOVE your tart, it is gorgeous and stunning and oh so pretty. What a cool idea, doing a baking challenge like that, means you will end up doing some crazy different stuff.
    Hope you had a brilliant weekend buddy. Looking forward to seeing the next random recipe. :)

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  8. I'm so impressed with your amazing talent Michael. So gorgeous, and the cream for the tart just "blows my mind" with the white chocolate, and custard.

    The fruit topping with the glaze is superb:DDD

    Can hardly wait for your next "random" recipe, which I probably would not/could not join, because I can't just randomly open a book and be "honest" to myself that I would want to make a certain recipe...what if I hate it?
    Have a wonderful Sunday, my sweet friend!
    xoxo

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  9. Oh,that looks lovely!! I bet it taste even better then it looks!!!

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  10. So simple but effective. Beautiful!

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  11. I bet this tasted insanely good! Wow! It is beautiful too!

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  12. Wow, that is beautiful! Always love puff pastry deserts and fresh fruit for Summer :)
    Hope you are having a fantastic weekend Michael!

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  13. Oh that is one of my favourites and your one looks so luscious! Mmmmm.

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  14. wow what a pretty dessert love all the fruit great for bbq's

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  15. Very pretty tart Michael! People could also slice the bit off with their favourite fruit :)

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  16. What a gorgeous tart! I love that you used white chocolate too! Delectable!

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  17. That is one elegant tart, Michael! Wish I had that to serve tonight.....

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  18. Looks so Divine! I just recently perfected my panacotta. I just love seeing those fruits on your french tart. It's a massive dessert. Hope you're doing fine :)

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  19. Michael, that is a beautiful tart and perfect for summer. You did a wonderful job.

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  20. I am one the girls that prefers the fruit desserts to other types... Your looks delightful. I would eat this till it was gone. Delicious.

    Velva

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  21. Oh Michael, what a beautiful fruit tart! Colorful banner of a pastry! I'd like a piece with the strawberries and then the bananas. What a delightful treat you made! Simply irresistible! Cheers!!!

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  22. What a great dessert! So fresh and light and delicious. I have a sheet of puff pastry in my freezer right now. I will be making this soon!

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  23. Once again you made such a pretty dessert! You must have the patience of a saint to get all of the fruit absolutely perfect.

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  24. Michael! I've seen the light! I always see these gorgeous pastries and think they'd be so difficult to make, but clearly the boys have drained all my brain cells because I never thought to use the puff pastry dough! I'm so in and will be making this lickety split!

    Lots of yummy love,
    Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
    www.mawhats4dinner.com

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  25. Beautiful Michael, love the different fruits on the tart...hope you are having a great week :-)

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  26. Michael, I've been wanting to comment on your gorgeous tart for the longest time but your comment box was invisible to me until today! Yeaaaay, hopefully the viewing glitch (from my side) was temporary. I too, adore James Martin and it looks like you've done his recipe proud with this version. I wanted that slice with the blueberries, but they've gone missing too! LOL.

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  27. That looks delicious! And the glaze on your fruit - such a nice touch.

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  28. What a gorgeous fruit tart! I'm so glad to get to know your blog via my guest post, Michael. Looking forward to more of your bautiful creations and takes on recipes!

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  29. e' bellissima! dovro' cercare di tradurre la ricetta...ciao!

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  30. Hi this looks amazing. Do you think it can be made the day before and put in the fridge or will the pastry go soggy?

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