Festive Fruit Tart Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour, cornmeal and lemon juice to form a dough. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. tart pan with removable bottom. Bake at 425° for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack., For filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and milk until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Arrange berries or fruit over filling. Refrigerate while preparing glaze., For fruit glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, apricot nectar and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Cool; brush over fruit. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal; add the cream cheese and pulse until it's the size of small peas.) When you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should form a ball. Shape the dough into a round disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Toss the sliced apples and pear with the orange juice. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cornstarch. Toss the fruit with the sugar-spice mixture and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Set out an 8-inch tart pan, or, if you'll be making a free-form tart (galette), lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to form a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan or baking sheet. Arrange the fruit decoratively in the tart pastry. If you're baking the tart on a baking sheet, leave a 2-inch rim of dough and fold it up over the edge of the fruit (the pastry folds will overlap).
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and brush it with the apricot jam.

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it into the flour so the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Measure 150ml/¼ pint cold water into a jug. Stir the ground almonds and sugar into the flour mixture, then add the egg yolk and a little of the water, stirring with a knife. Gradually work in the rest of the water, stirring until you have a soft pastry ball. Wrap it in cling film and chill for 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Tip the ground almonds, sugar, currants, sultanas, almonds and spices into a large bowl and stir. Melt the butter (use the microwave for speed) and add to the dry ingredients with the beaten eggs and the lemon and orange zest and juice. Mix together really well.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface (working with half at a time is easiest) to about 5mm thickness. Cut out about 24 rounds using a 10cm round cutter. Use each round to line a muffin tin (use two trays, or bake in batches). Spoon the filling into each pastry-lined tart, so it is just shy of the top of the pastry.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until pale golden, then turn each tart out on to a wire rack and dust with icing sugar. Lovely served warm or cold.

Steps:

• For filling, beat cream cheese and Splenda until smooth.
• Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat well. I usually prepare the filling in the food processor. Set aside.
• For crust, place 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface (keep remainder covered with a damp tea towel to prevent drying out). Brush with melted margarine (or butter). Place a second sheet on top. Cut into 12 squares. Place 1 square in each greased muffin cup, leaving the corners of the square extending up into points. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of phyllo, placing this next square on top of the phyllo lined muffin cups, but giving it a 1/4 turn, so the points fit between the existing ones (completed pastry should look like a tulip).
• Divide cheese mixture between tart shells. If using optional filling drop 1/2 TBSP of any topping except fresh fruit, in center of each tart.
• Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is set.
• Cool in muffin tin on a rack until only warm, then remove from tin to rack to finish cooling.
• Store in the refrigerator.
• Garnish with fresh fruit (and a sprinkle of powdered sugar) if using that option.

Steps:

• Whisk limeade and honey until blended.
• Slowly whisk in oil until thick and smooth.
• Dip bananas, apples and pears in mixture.
• Line platter with leaves.
• Arrange red and green grapes, apricot and starfruit in alternating groups in a circle around outside edge of platter.
• Alternate orange slices and more star fruit with apple and pear slices in a smaller circle.
• In the next circle, arrange kiwi, pineapple, bananas and strawberries.
• Sprinkle raspberries over all.

Steps:

• Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar in an approximate 10-by-13-inch rectangle in the center of the liner or paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add fruit, lemon juice, honey and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, mix well, making sure fruit is coated with the cornstarch mixture. Set aside to macerate while rolling out dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the cold puff pastry out to form a 10-by-13-inch rectangle. Work quickly, as the pastry becomes sticky as it warms up. Transfer the dough to prepared baking sheet, laying it on top of the Demerara sugar. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 3/4-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry, making sure not to cut the pastry all the way through. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over inside the border at 1-inch intervals.
• Give the fruit another toss to dissolve any honey that may have clumped. Arrange fruit mixture in an even layer on pastry within the border, pouring the juices from the bowl over the top. Sprinkle the top of the tart, including the fruit and pastry borders, with more Demerara sugar.
• Bake until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden and the fruit is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire tack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving (or up to 4 hours). If the fruit looks dry when the tart comes out of the oven, you can brush it with a little more honey while it's still warm. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream.