The dried fruit tart with jam (or preserves) is a typical recipe of Sicilian pastry. Like almost all recipes, there are different versions of this dessert; for example, it can be made with shortcrust pastry, sponge cake, jam (or with custard or honey), and dried fruit. Today I am offering you the simplest and most
widespread version, made with shortcrust pastry, dried fruit, and jam.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Dried Fruit Tart with Jam
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup lard
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/3 cups mixed shelled dried fruit (pistachios, walnuts, almonds)
- 3/4 cup apricot preserves (or other preserves or jam of your choice)
- 1 tbsp apricot preserves
- 2 tbsp water
- as needed butter
Recommended Tools
- Tart Pan with removable bottom, 8.5 inches
- Brush
Preparation of DRIED FRUIT TART WITH JAM
Remove the lard from the refrigerator and cut it into small pieces.
Place the flour in a bowl (I mix it a bit with a whisk instead of sifting it), add the lard (1), and work by rubbing the palms of your hands with the flour and lard until fully absorbed (2).
Add the sugar and brown sugar (3), then mix well (4).
Make a well in the center and add a pinch of salt, the grated lemon zest (5), the lightly beaten egg, and the water (6).
Start working inside the bowl with one hand (7), then pour the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface (8) and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and soft. Form a ball, slightly flatten it, wrap it in cling film (9), and let it rest in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Once the time has passed, soak the dried fruit in cold water for 5 minutes (10) so that it doesn’t burn during baking.
Butter a tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom, 8.5 inches in diameter (11).
On the floured work surface, roll out the shortcrust pastry into a disc about 1/4 inch thick (12), then lift the rolled pastry and position it in the pan (13).
Then remove the excess dough by carefully trimming the edges while running the rolling pin (14-15).
Pour the apricot preserves into the shortcrust pastry shell and level it with the back of a spoon (16). Drain the dried fruit and arrange it on the preserves, trying not to leave empty spaces (17).
Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F static or 320°F fan-forced for about 35 minutes, until you see golden shortcrust pastry edges (I used fan-forced).
Remove the tart from the oven, let it cool slightly, then remove it from the pan.
Put 1 heaping tablespoon of apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan (18); place the saucepan on the heat and warm over low heat, stirring continuously, until the preserves are melted. Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a sieve (19). Use the strained and still warm mixture to glaze the surface of the tart using a brush (20).
Let the dried fruit tart with jam cool completely before serving.
You can watch on YouTube the → video of the DRIED FRUIT TART WITH JAM
Notes
For my tart, I used almonds, blanched almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, but you can also add hazelnuts or make the tart with just one type of dried fruit.
For my tart, I used almonds, blanched almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, but you can also add hazelnuts or make the tart with just one type of dried fruit.
You can replace apricot preserves with other preserves or jam.
If you don’t like the shortcrust with lard, replace it with classic shortcrust pastry or with easy-to-roll shortcrust pastry.
The tart can be stored for 4-5 days under a glass dome at room temperature.
