Freestyle Plum Or Fruit Tart Food

EASY FREE-FORM PLUM TART

Steps:

• First, make the Sugar Dough: In a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade, combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter and process until the texture resembles fine meal.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1 Tbs. of the cream. Scrape into the processor and process until a ball begins to form, drizzling in the additional Tbs. of cream, if necessary, to help the dough come together.
• Remove the dough from the machine and, on a lightly floured surface, press down into a circle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Before assembling the tart, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove the Sugar Dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a rough circle 14 inches in diameter. Lift up the dough and transfer it to a nonstick baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator while you prepare the plums.
• In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the plums and sauté just until they begin to soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Gently stir in the sugar and lemon juice.
• Remove from the heat and, if you like, drizzle in the plum brandy. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Spoon the cooled plums into the center of the dough, spreading them evenly and leaving a 2-inch border all around the edge. Fold the edge up over the plums, leaving the fruit in the center of the tart exposed.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Brush the exposed rim of dough with the egg. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

QUICK AND EASY FRUIT TARTS

Steps:

• For the tarts: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured work surface, lay out the puff pastry. Cut the puff pastry sheets in half, making 4 rectangles. Place 2 puff pastry rectangles on each sheet pan. Set aside.
• Add the blueberries and strawberries to separate bowls. Divide the granulated sugar and lemon juice between the bowls. Season each with a pinch of salt and stir until well combined.
• Divide the blueberries between 2 of the puff pastry rectangles, leaving a 1/4-inch border on all sides. Do the same with the strawberries and the remaining puff pastry rectangles. Pinch the corners of each rectangle, creating a slight lip. Brush the edges with the cream.
• Bake in the lower half of the oven until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.
• For the whipped cream: While the tarts bake, add the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whip until soft and billowy. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.
• Transfer the tarts to a cutting board. Let the tarts cool slightly before slicing approximately 6 times across each tart to create thin slices. Transfer to a serving platter. Scatter the mint leaves over the tart pieces and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve alongside the whipped cream.

FREESTYLE PLUM OR FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place pie crust in a greased 10 inch pie plate or oven-proof dish. I used a 1 1/2 quart Pyrex dish.
• Using the back of a spoon, spread cream cheese over the bottom of the pie crust.
• Toss plums with sugar and flour. Pour over cream cheese.
• Fold edges of pie crust over plums, leaving center of plums uncovered.
• Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over top of tart.
• Bake 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden and fruit juices are bubbly.
• Top with whipped cream, Cool Whip, or ice cream if desired.

PLUM AND APRICOT PUFF PASTRY TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with a knife into a small bowl, discarding pod, and stir in sugar and cinnamon.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry 1/8 inch thick and cut out two 6- by 5 1/2-inch rectangles. Arrange pastry on a baking sheet and fold edges in on all sides to form 1/2-inch borders, leaving corners unfolded. Form points at corners by twisting ends and pressing them gently onto baking sheet. On pastry arrange plum and apricot slices, overlapping them slightly, in rows and sprinkle with sugar mixture.
• Bake tarts in middle of oven until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool tarts on a rack and brush with jam.
• Serve tarts warm with ice cream.

FRESH PLUM FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out crust dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Gently press dough into tart pan; trim excess. Freeze crust 15 minutes.
• Place tart pan on baking sheet. Bake crust 10 minutes; pierce with toothpick if crust bubbles. Continue to bake until crust is pale golden, about 12 minutes. Cool crust on baking sheet 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Blend all ingredients except plums in processor until almonds are finely ground. Spread frangipane filling in prepared crust.
• Place plum halves, skin side up, on work surface. Cut 1 plum half into thin parallel slices, keeping plum intact (do not cut through end). Press gently to fan slices. Repeat with remaining plum halves. Place fanned plums, skin side up, atop frangipane; press gently to anchor.
• Bake tart on baking sheet until frangipane is puffed and golden and plums are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove tart from baking sheet; transfer to rack.
• For glaze:
• Stir apricot jam and brandy in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Strain glaze into small bowl. Brush glaze generously over plums. Cool tart completely. (Tart can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Push pan bottom up to free tart from pan. Cut tart into wedges and serve.

FRESH FRUIT TART WITH PLUM JAM

Steps:

• For jam:
• Stir sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into sugar water; add bean. Bring to boil. Place candy thermometer into mixture so that bulb is submerged. Boil until thermometer registers 260°F, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes (time will vary due to size of pan). Remove pan from heat and add plums to pan; let stand 1 minute. Stir mixture constantly over high heat until plums are broken up, spoon leaves path when drawn across bottom of pan, and mixture is reduced to 1 1/3 cups, about 9 minutes. Transfer to metal or glass container. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of jam and refrigerate until cool.
• DO AHEAD Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.
• For crust:
• Finely grind hazelnuts with 1/2 cup flour in processor. Transfer to medium bowl. Whisk in remaining 1 cup flour, sugar, and salt. Make well in center and pour in melted butter. Mix with fingers until moist crumbs form. Transfer mixture to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of pan. Freeze crust 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool crust 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• Brush bottom and sides of tart with 1/2 cup plum jam. Return to oven and bake until jam bubbles all over, about 14 minutes. Cool completely.
• DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead; cover and let stand at room temperature.
• For filling:
• Place all fruit in large bowl. Stir remaining plum jam to loosen and add to fruit in bowl; toss gently to coat. Transfer fruit to crust, mounding in center. Serve with whipped cream.

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.

PLUM AND FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper set in a rimmed baking sheet. Trim the sides if necessary to make a neat rectangle. Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1-inch border around the puff pastry, taking care not to cut through the sheet. Using a fork, dock the sheet all over but within the border.
• Bake the puff pastry just until lightly golden, about 24 minutes. (Keep in mind that you will be baking it again, so it doesn't have to be completely baked through yet.) Remove from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• While the pastry bakes, prepare the frangipane: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the nut flour, brown sugar, butter and salt, and beat by hand using a wooden spoon or whisk, or with an electric mixer, until well-combined. (If there are small bits of butter in the frangipane, that's OK.)
• In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cardamom.
• When the puff pastry is out of the oven, use the back of a spoon to gently press down the pastry within the border. Immediately spread the frangipane over the pastry within the border. Arrange the fruit over the top of the frangipane. Sprinkle the cardamom sugar over the fruit.
• Bake until the frangipane is golden brown in spots and set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes, tenting the edges of the pastry with foil if they are browning too quickly.
• Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.