Fruit tarts are a delicious, satisfying, and wholesome treat. They are known for the variety of textures they hold. A perfect fruit tart has a perfectly cooked, biscuit crust, creamy filling, and is topped with fresh, tropical, and citrusy fruits. This is one of my mom’s favorite desert treat when I make them.
Fruit tarts are a delicious, satisfying, and wholesome treat. They are known for the variety of textures they hold. A perfect fruit tart has a perfectly cooked, biscuit crust, creamy filling, and is topped with fresh, tropical, and citrusy fruits. This is one of my mom’s favorite desert treat when I make them.
I love tarts! It is as simple as it can be! They can either be savory or sweet. They are versatile and above all, they are easy to make. If you follow the instructions carefully, you can become a tart-pro on the first attempt.
Did you know that tarts have a long history? The first-ever tart to be recorded in food history appeared in Italy somewhere in the 15th century. It had a meat filling, so it was a savory one. However, it was not until the 8th century that sweets were used in tarts.
The first-ever fruit tart appeared in France. So, you can understand where the delicacy came from. Well, whomever invented fruit tarts, I am glad they did! They are not just tasteful but are also visually appealing. If you are looking for a simple, yet flavorsome fruit tart recipe, be sure to follow this post till the end. I guarantee you will find this to be an amazing recipe.
Main components of a Custard Filled Tropical Fruit Tart
There are four main components of custard-filled tropical fruit tart. These are as follows:
- Crust: The base for this tart is the tart shell. The perfect crust is mouthful, crunchy and holds the shape and ingredients perfectly well. You will find several different tart crust recipes, but not everyone is perfect. Read ahead to find the best tart crust recipe.
- Filling: The filling brings in creaminess and flavor. Although you can make any type of custard filling, the simplest one is by using a custard powder. Vanilla custard is by far the easiest and tastiest of all. It is simply elegant and delicious.
- Toppings: The options for toppings are unlimited. You can use any fresh fruit you like. However, we use a variety of fresh, tropical fruits. Pineapple, mango, strawberry, and blueberry work best for me. Oh, and not to forget coconut flakes. Mmm yum!
- Glaze: A delicious, sweet, and flavorsome glaze is perfect for keeping the fruits from drying out and adding taste to the tarts. The best way to make a glaze is by cooking a jam and mix it with water. I love to use guava jam, but you can use any other jam as well.
Tips and tricks for the perfect tart
Making fruit tarts is super easy and fun. However, you must keep a few things in mind. These are:
- Make sure you are using cold butter for the tarts.
- Make sure the water you are using for the tart is very well chilled.
- There is no rule for the consistency of the dough. So, do not worry if you find it too soft. *If you are using a food processer: if the dough does not completely form into a ball add 1 tbsp for cold water, then pulse again*
- Do not forget to chill the dough before using it.
- Place the tarts in the freezer for some time before baking them.
- Poke small holes in the tart using a fork before baking them.
- Bring the cooked custard to room temperature before refrigerating. You can place the custard in a piping bag to refrigerate.
- Taste your custard filling and adjust sugar content to your liking. I generally don’t like mine too sweet since there is pineapple and guava glaze, which has sugar.
- Never pipe custard filling on hot tart shells. It will ruin the whole tart.
- You can use any type of fresh fruit to top this tart.
What can we make ahead of time?
If you are thinking, can you make this tart in advance, the answer is yes you can. However, there are a few things you must keep in mind. Because fruit tart uses fresh fruits, the timeline is crucial to ensure everything stays fresh and flavorsome. Firstly, you can prepare the tart shells ahead of time. You do not have to refrigerate the baked ones; they can be kept at room temperature. Secondly, you can prepare the custard filling ahead of time as well. Place it in a piping bag and store it. You can keep it for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Lastly, you can also make the glaze ahead of time. Although, you do not need to, because the preparation method is super easy. So, if you are hosting a grand party at your house, you can prepare the elements separately in advance.
How to store fruit tarts?
When storing fruit tarts, keep in mind that you should keep the final product at room temperature for just a few hours. That’s because the fruits will start to leave their juice out, and the tart shell will get soggy. It can be a mess. So, make sure you store them in the refrigerator. It can stay fresh for as long as two days depending upon the fruit you are using. Variations
There are so many ways you can make a fruit tart. You can add more flavors and toppings. Here are a few ideas:
- Vanilla custard: Plain vanilla custard is always a winner. Nothing can go wrong with it. If you love vanilla’s flavor, you can focus on it by adding a little more.
- Lemon curd: How about making a lemon curd instead of a custard. It is also super easy to make, and the lemon flavor is on spot.
- Chocolate filling: If you want to satisfy your love for chocolate, you can prepare its filling and fill the fruit tarts within. Do not forget to use strawberries with the chocolate filling.
- Nuts: aside from adding fresh fruits, you can also add raisins and nuts to a fruit tart. It will bring a crunchy element to the tarts. Try it! I am sure you will love it.
Here is a detailed step-by-step instruction on making easy fruit tarts. Try these now! And I bet you and your loved ones will love it.
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Custard Cream Filled Tropical Fruit Tart
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 HR
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
This easy topical fruit tart recipe is so yummy! The pastry crust shell is flaky, and the custard filling is so creamy and delicious. It’s fully loaded with fresh fruits and covered with a guava glaze.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ½ cup Crisco shortening cut into cubes
- 2 eggs yolk
- ¼ cup icy Ice water
Filling
- 4 tbsp + ½ tsp bird custard powder
- 2 ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
Toppings
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Strawberry
- Blueberry
- Coconut flakes
Glaze
- 3 tbsp guava jam
- 3 tsp water
Instructions
Crust
- Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse for 1 min to incorporate.
- Add butter and shortening, then allow to pulse until a coarse crumby mixture is formed.
- Add two egg yolks and ¼ cup of cold water, then pulse until you form a ball.
- Press the ball into a disk on a floured surface, then wrap it with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place into the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- Flour surface, then roll pastry dough into 1-inch thickness.
- Place dough onto a mini tart pan and press down gently to ensure that it is flat into the pan and press dough against the edges of the pan to cut.
- Using a kitchen fork prick a few holes into the bottom of the dough.
- Place foil wrap into the tart pan, then add pie weights or rice to blind bake the crust.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place pies onto a baking sheet, then blind bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top of the crust is lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, then immediately remove rice or pie weights and remove from pan and allow to cool.
Filling
- In a bowl, whisk together room temperature evaporated milk and custard powder.
- Place into a small pot on low-medium heat, whisk together vigorously until custard thickens up.
- Place into a small bowl, then cover tightly with plastic wrap (be sure that the plastic wrap is touching the mixture and no air is in-between). Allow to cool completely, then whisk together vigorously before piping into pastry.
Glaze
- On medium-low heat, mix guava jam and water.
- Optional: strain mixture to ensure a smooth glaze.
Tart
- Pipe custard filling into pastry, being sure to leave ½ inch room as the fruits will cause it to overflow.
- Add fruits.
- Glaze with guava glaze.
- Serve room temperature or cold.
- Category: Dessert
