Direct to you from a little French pastry shop, or straight from your own kitchen? Yep, you'll feel like a French chef and an artist right at home. These simple fresh fruit tarts are easy to make and will add a splash of color and class to any gathering.
Mini fruit tart recipe or large French-style tart?
Fresh fruit tarts are so much fun, and you can make them in less than an hour! This recipe will make 36 tartlets, 12 medium sized tarts or one full-size fresh fruit tart.
How to make tart shells
In these pictures we're using 36 small tart pans. Our easy 4-ingredient pastry dough is much like a sugar cookie without any leavening. No need to grease the pans or fuss. The tarts will pop right out after a few minutes cooling time. Just form small balls of dough (or use a cookie scoop) and press them into the tart pans. You could also use mini muffin pans. Tartlet pans like these are available on Amazon.
How to make pastry cream
Our fruit tart recipe custard is also easy make. We use vanilla cook and serve pudding like Jell-O brand. In our opinion, cook and serve pudding has a much better taste than instant pudding, so make sure you try it. Replace the milk with Half for this mixture, (we reduce the liquid), then add a bit of vanilla. It's the perfect base for our delicate pastries!
Choose fruit for color and flavor
Choose any fruit you like. We love the color combination of strawberries and or raspberries, blueberries, kiwis or green grapes, and mandarin orange slices. Thinly slice the fruit and dry it well before adding atop the custard. This is where your inner artist can shine through. There are so many ways you can arrange the fruit.
Fruit glaze
Finally, we brush a glaze over the top of the fruit. It gives it some extra shine and a professional gloss that says "eat me!"
Try putting like colors together in individual tarts, or go for a combo fruit cocktail look! Any way you arrange them, these French fruit tarts will be charming. They're one of the best fruit dessert recipes! Let us know if you try them!
Enjoy!
Dianna
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Fresh Fruit Tarts
Ingredients
Fruit
- Select a variety of fresh fruit to give an array of colors. We like strawberries raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, green grapes, peaches and mandarin oranges best. There are other fruit that will work well also.
- 16 ounce basket strawberries
- 6 ounce container raspberries
- 6 ounce container blueberries
- 2 kiwis peeled, halved, and thinly sliced.
- 1 small can mandarin orange slices drained
- NOTE: You’ll probably have leftover strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
Tart Shells
- 1 cup butter 2 cubes
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 ⅓ cup flour
Vanilla Custard
- 1 package 4.6 ounces vanilla cook and serve pudding
- 1 ¾ cups half and half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Fruit Glaze
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
Shortcut Fruit Glaze
- 1 cup jelly or jam we like apricot jam or apple jelly best
- 2-3 Tablespoons water
Instructions
Fruit
- Wash, and thoroughly dry fruit. Remove the skins of the kiwi and thinly slice fruit. You do not need to slice the blueberries, raspberries, or mandarin oranges. Leave on paper towel to drain until ready to assemble.
Tart Shells
- Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and beat well.
- Slowly add flour and incorporate into dough just until flour disappears.Form small balls of dough and press into tart pans or mini muffin pans. (Do not prick.)
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-12 minutes or until tart shells are slightly golden. Cool on cooling rack until ready to fill. This recipe will make: 36 small tart shells, 12 medium tart shells, or 1 large tart shell.
Easy Custard
- Stir pudding mix into 1¾ cups half and half in medium saucepan. Bring to full boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.
Fruit Glaze
- Whisk ingredients together and cook over low heat until thick and clear. Cool before brushing on fruit.
OR Shortcut Fruit Glaze
- Mix water and jam together in a microwave safe dish and heat for 30 seconds until it haw thinned out, then stir to combine.
- If needed, strain though a fine mesh sieve to get out seeds. Let cool before brushing on fruit.
To Assemble Fruit Tarts
- If you will serve within two hours, skip step 1. Very lightly brush the bottom of tart shells with glaze (this will keep them from getting soggy if you aren’t serving for several hours.)
- Place 1-2 teaspoons of custard in bottom of each tart shell. Arrange fruit slices artistically over custard. (Put like fruit together, or choose to mix fruit within a single tart.)
- Gently brush tops of fruit with fruit glaze. This will give your fruit a fresh, glossy look.-Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
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Can I freeze the tart shells to use at a later date?
Hi Joanna! Yes, once the tart shells are baked they can be frozen for up to two months!
- Dianna