Free Form Fruit Tart Food

FREE-FORM APPLE OR PEAR TART

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse once or twice. Cut 8 tablespoons butter into chunks, and add it and egg yolk to flour mixture. Process until butter and flour are blended, about 10 seconds. Turn mixture into a bowl, and add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. After adding 3 or 4 tablespoons you should be able to gather mixture into a ball; wrap ball in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or freeze for about 15 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll or pat dough into a 10-inch circle; it can be quite crude in shape. Place it on a cookie or pizza sheet, preferably nonstick. Arrange fruit slices on top, right out to edges; make the pattern attractive, if you like. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cut remaining butter into bits, and top fruit with it.
• Bake until crust is nicely browned and fruit is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove, and serve warm or at room temperature, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or ice cream.

RUSTIC PLUM TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt several times to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. (If needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Do not overmix.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead once or twice. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Flour a large (about 16 inches long) piece of parchment paper. Place dough on paper. Using your knuckles, press edges of dough so it doesn't crack during rolling. Lightly flour top of dough to prevent sticking; roll out to a 14-inch round. Transfer dough (still on parchment) to prepared baking sheet.
• Make the filling and bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together plums, sugar, and flour. Mound plum mixture in center of prepared crust, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Fold border over fruit in a pleated pattern. Brush dough with egg wash.
• Bake tart until crust is brown and filling is bubbling (see note), about 45 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a rack; let cool 20 minutes. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

FREE-FORM FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the basic tart dough using buttermilk instead of the chilled water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• After the dough is chilled, place it on a nonstick cookie sheet and roll it into a circle about 14 inches in diameter.
• Arrange the nectarines in the center of the dough and mound the berries on top of the nectarine slices. Scatter the chunks of butter over the fruit and sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over it all.
• Fold up the edges of the dough to make a packet, with the fruit in the center partly exposed. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the dough and bake the tart until the crust is golden and the fruit is soft, about 40 minutes.

RUSTIC FRUIT TART (FREE FORM GALETTE)

Steps:

• In a stand mixer, combine dry ingredients for crust and stir to mix. On low speed, add butter until the flour is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas.
• Mix egg yolk and milk together then add to flour mixture until just combined (about 15 seconds).
• Remove the mixture from the bowl and put on a floured surface. Knead quickly until it just comes together. The dough will be dotted with butter spots throughout. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In the meantime, in a large bowl toss together ingredients for the fruit filling; set aside.
• Remove pastry ball from refrigerator and place on a floured surface or a floured Silpat. (Just rolling between 2 pieces of plastic wrap may be easier.) Place the plastic wrap on top of the dough ball and proceed to roll out until approximately 12 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer crust to a baking sheet.
• Ladle filling in the center, leaving a few inches of dough around the edges and pull over the free edges on top of the fruit filling leaving the center exposed. Brush the dough edges with egg wash and top with sugar in the raw or brown sugar.
• Cook for 55 minutes or until crust is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

FREE-FORM BERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. To make the crust, place the flour, shortning, butter and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix with your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Drizzle in the water and mix with a fork just until the dough comes together. Let rest for at least 15 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Place the berries in a bowl, add the sugar, spices, vanilla, and flour and toss well. On a well-floured board, roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle. Place the dough in a well-greased 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Pour in the filling and top with the lemon zest.
• To prepare the topping, mix together the sugar, flour and butter to form a crumbly dough. Fold in the sides of the crust over the filling. Sprinkle the topping over the filling. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

FREE-FORM HARVEST APPLE TART RECIPE

Steps:

• Use pulsing action to process flour, butter and half the cream cheese in food processor until mixture is blended and dough starts to pull away from side of container. Shape into ball; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 14x8-inch rectangle. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet; set aside.
• Place remaining cream cheese in medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 10 sec. or just until softened. Add half the dry gelatin mix; stir until blended. Spread onto dough to within 2 inches of edges.
• Toss apples with cornstarch, cinnamon and remaining dry gelatin mix; spoon over cream cheese mixture. Fold edges of pastry over apples. (Apples in center of tart will remain exposed.) Sprinkle with nuts.
• Bake 35 min. or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool.