The Harlequin Tart is one of the most cheerful and spectacular desserts to bring to the table during Carnival. It is a recipe that focuses on the vibrancy of colors, just like the famous Bergamasque mask from which it takes its name.
A fragrant base of shortcrust pastry that holds a filling made of various types of jams and decorated with a geometry of vibrant colors reminiscent of the diamonds on Harlequin’s costume.
It’s the perfect recipe for those who want to have fun in the kitchen and surprise guests with a spectacular yet simple dessert. Prepare it for a children’s Carnival party and you’ll see that you’ll win them all over.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…cook AND eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Carnival
Ingredients for a 9.5-inch tart
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 5.3 oz butter (cold)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1 packet vanillin
- to taste apricot jam
- to taste strawberry jam
- to taste blueberry jam
Tools
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Tart Pan 9.5-inch
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Cooling Rack
- 1 Spoon
Steps
To prepare the base of your Harlequin tart, first of all, gather the flour and cold butter cut into pieces into the chopper bowl.
Turn on the cutter just long enough to obtain the “sanding” of the ingredients (the finely cut butter should mix with the flour making it grainy and moist like sand). At this point, also add the egg, sugar, and grated lemon zest. Restart the chopper and as soon as the dough takes shape, transfer it onto a work surface and, without working it too much, compact it to form a dough ball and wrap it in food wrap, then put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.Once out of the fridge, roll out the shortcrust pastry to get a disk 1/4 inch thick, place it inside a previously buttered and floured tart pan, and prick it with the prongs of a fork. Then remove the excess dough from the edge, recombine it, roll it out, make 10 strips, and arrange them in the empty tart shell to form diamonds.
At this point, fill the tart by placing the various jams in the individual spaces. For this operation, use a spoon.
Once completed, transfer the tart to the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes, so it won’t lose shape while baking.
Bake the Harlequin Tart, in a preheated static oven, at 350°F for 25-30 minutes (depends on the oven).
Once baked, let the tart cool on a cooling rack before removing it from the pan and serving 😏.
Storage
Harlequin Tart keeps at room temperature for 3-4 days under a glass cover
Harlequin Tart keeps at room temperature for 3-4 days under a glass cover
Notes
If you want, you can decorate the tart with shortcrust masks to place on top before baking, or bake some shortcrust masks and place a couple on the tart once baked.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use any type of jam or marmalade?
Yes, the important thing is that they have very different colors (e.g., apricot for orange, strawberry for red, plum for purple, kiwi or green apple for green). Try to use jams with similar consistency, avoiding those that are too runny that could boil over and spill over the edges.
Jams tend to darken in the oven, how can I keep the colors bright?
To keep the colors vibrant like those of Harlequin’s costume, you can add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the jam before spreading it. Also, avoid baking the tart at too high temperatures: a gentle bake will help preserve the fruit’s brightness.
What can I use if I can’t find a blue or green jam?
Green and blue are difficult colors to find in natural jams. For green, you can use kiwi or gooseberry jam. Alternatively, you can color a light-colored jam (like peach or apple) with a touch of gel food coloring or add some pistachio granules at the end of baking.
The shortcrust breaks when I try to create the diamonds, how do I fix this?
Make sure the shortcrust is very cold from the fridge. If the dough gets too warm while creating the dividers, it will become sticky and difficult to handle. Work quickly and, if necessary, put the pan back in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking: this will also help the tart maintain its shape while baking.
Can I prepare it the day before?
Absolutely yes! In fact, the tart with jams is even better the next day because the shortcrust has time to absorb the fruit’s moisture, becoming more crumbly and flavorful. Store it out of the fridge in a cool, dry place, covered by a glass dome.
