Clever Puff Pastry Fruit Tart The Dessert Ready in 20 Minutes. The Clever Puff Pastry Tart is the fruit dessert every cooking enthusiast should know. Easy, delicious and fast.
But do you know why it works so well?
Everyone likes it: children who love fruit and adults who want a light, refreshing finish to the meal.
There’s no shortcrust dough to deal with or endless resting times in the fridge.
Puff pastry is a guarantee of immediate success.
You can adapt it to whatever you have in the fridge.
No strawberries? Use peaches. No blueberries? Go with kiwi or grapes. It won’t be offended — it just changes outfit and remains beautiful.
The “Wow” effect is free: The shine of the fruit on the bright yellow cream makes it so spectacular that no one will ever believe you only spent 20 minutes on it.
There are days when the kitchen is relaxing and days when it’s pure emergency management. This recipe belongs to the second category, but with a pâtisserie result.
It all started with a phone call from my husband: ‘I finish my shift and I’ll bring two colleagues to lunch’. Panic? No, inspiration.
While the pasta sauce was simmering on the stove, I unrolled a sheet of puff pastry and popped it in the oven. In those same ten minutes I made a quick, fragrant lemon custard.
Time to let everything cool, wash the fruit I already had in the fridge and decorate… and here’s a fresh, showy dessert ready.
It’s my “ace up the sleeve” because it literally cooks while you do something else, turning an impromptu lunch into a special occasion.
If you want the best result with the least effort, this is your recipe.”
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 288.73 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 38.51 (g) of which sugars 20.85 (g)
- Proteins 5.45 (g)
- Fat 13.32 (g) of which saturated 3.11 (g)of which unsaturated 9.65 (g)
- Fibers 1.16 (g)
- Sodium 85.76 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 110 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Clever Puff Pastry Fruit Tart The Dessert Ready in 20 Minutes
- 1 puff pastry sheet (round)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional, to caramelize the base)
- 2 1/8 cups milk ((about 16.9 fl oz))
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar (Or erythritol)
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 5 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (or flour)
- 2 lemons (grated zest of both and the juice of half a lemon)
- oz fresh fruit (as desired according to the season (about 3 cups))
- as needed mint
- as needed glaze spray
Tools
- Baking pans
- ceramic baking beads for tarts
- Saucepan
- Parchment paper
Steps
Clever Puff Pastry Fruit Tart The Dessert Ready in 20 Minutes
Preparing the Custard (First step)
In a saucepan beat the 2 whole eggs with the sugar and the cornstarch.
Add the milk and the lemon zest, bring to a boil until it thickens.
Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and pour the custard onto a large flat plate.
Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let it start to cool (while you move on to the pastry).
While the custard rests on the plate and loses heat, take care of the base:
Preheat the oven to 392°F.
Take the puff pastry sheet and place it in the pan without removing its paper.To make it prettier and to hold the custard well, fold the edges inward creating a rope border all around.
Now, with a fork, prick the bottom generously: it must be full of holes so it won’t puff up.
Sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the entire surface.
Lay another sheet of parchment on top and fill it with dried beans (or the ceramic baking beads). This weight will keep the pastry flat.
After the time has passed, remove the beans and the top paper.
Bake for another 5 minutes or so: the pastry should turn a nice amber color and dry well even in the center.
Once out of the oven, remove the tart from the pan and the parchment immediately.
Place it on a cooling rack.
This allows air to circulate underneath as well, preventing steam from making it soggy.
Wash and dry the fruit.
Now that the base is cool, spread the lemon custard.
Cover with the fresh fruit.
Fix everything with the glaze spray for that shiny finish.
One last tip: if you want it to stay as shiny as in the photo, never forget the glaze spray. It protects the fruit and keeps the colors vibrant until the last bite. Now all that remains is to cut the first slice…
Enjoy!
Tips
To prevent bananas and apples from turning brown while you slice them (before applying the glaze), dip them quickly in water with lemon.
But remember to dry them well with paper towels: the custard hates moisture!
If in a hurry the custard makes a few small lumps, don’t despair! Pass it quickly through a fine-mesh sieve while it’s still warm.
It will become silky in an instant.
Seasonal variation: We’ve seen how pretty it is with strawberries and kiwi, but this method works with everything. In autumn try grapes and thin persimmon slices, or in summer only berries and fresh basil leaves instead of mint.
Never underestimate the glaze! Besides making it glossy as in the photo, it “seals” the fruit to the custard, so slices don’t fall apart when you cut them in front of guests.
Storage
In the Refrigerator:
The fruit tart should be stored in the refrigerator, preferably inside a cake tin or covered with a glass dome. It stays excellent for 1-2 days.
Since it’s puff pastry, ideally consume it within a few hours of preparation. If there are leftovers, the cold of the fridge will tend to soften the base. A little trick? Take it out 15 minutes before serving, so the custard releases all the lemon aroma.
No to the Freezer: I strongly advise against it! Fresh fruit and pastry cream would change texture and become watery once thawed.
This is where our ally comes in! The glaze spray not only makes it beautiful, but acts as an “insulator”: it prevents the fruit from drying out or releasing too much liquid on the custard, extending the life of your tart by a few extra hours.
Tips for other recipes
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