Spring fruit tart – how to prepare it?

Fruit tart is a cake that comes out every time. It tastes great at any time of the year, but with the addition of spring fruits is simply exceptional!

Spring fruit tart is perfect for any occasion: both for a family party in the garden and for Sunday dessert. It is simple and quick to prepare, so anyone can easily make it. Shortcrust pastry melts in your mouth, and creamy texture of mascarpone cheese or pudding adds to its character. The key to getting an extraordinary effect, however, is to use fresh, juicy fruit, which are abundant in spring and summer! How to prepare a spring fruit tart?

Crispy tart dough

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/3 cups flour,
• 1/4 cup sugar,
• 6 tablespoons butter,
• 1 egg yolk,
• 30 g vanilla sugar.

Preparation:

1. Knead the dough with butter, egg yolk and flour and then form it into a ball.
2. Wrap the prepared dough in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for about half an hour. After this time, roll it out into a pancake the size of a baking sheet.
3. Grease the tin with butter and then line it with dough.
4. Make holes all over the dough with a fork.
5. Cover the dough with baking paper and sprinkle some rice or beans on it to weigh it down (this way it will keep its shape).
6. Bake the cake for about 15–20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Mascarpone cream

This tart tastes great both with fruit and with cream. You can prepare it based on mascarpone cheese for a slightly softer effect than with pudding.

Ingredients:

• 250 g mascarpone cheese,
• 150 ml of 36% cream cheese,
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar,
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste, vanilla extract or 8 g vanilla sugar.

The ingredients should be chilled.

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and beat. The cream should be fluffy and stiff.
2. Fill the tart bottom with the mascarpone cream and place the fruit on top.

Cream of custard

Cream of custard is quite thick but also smooth. It is characterized by its versatility, so it will go well with any tart with fruit.

Ingredients:

• 600 ml milk,
• 3 egg yolks,
• 2 tablespoons cake flour,
• 2 tablespoons cream pudding with sugar,
• 2 spoonfuls of vanilla sugar,
• 5 dag of butter.

Preparation:

1. Mix the flour, cream pudding with sugar, egg yolks and vanilla sugar in 200 ml of cold milk.
2. Pour the remaining 400 ml of milk into a saucepan and add 5 dag of butter. Bring to a boil.
3. Combine the boiled milk with butter with pudding mixture and cook like pudding (add powdered sugar if necessary).
4. Spread the hot custard over the freshly baked pastry, then place the fruit on top and leave to cool.

Which fruit for spring tart?

Spring fruits available in Poland are mainly strawberries, cherries, cherries, rhubarb, gooseberries, black currants, some kinds of apples (e.g. boiken, idared), first raspberries and peaches.

For a spring tart it is worth using fresh seasonal fruit, although you can also add to it those available in stores all year round, or even reach for preserves. Here are some suggestions for the best spring mixes that will go great with a spring fruit tart.

Roasted rhubarb with strawberries

Ingredients:

• 150 g strawberries (stalkless and halved),
• 250 g of rhubarb (unpeeled and cut into 3 cm pieces),
• freshly squeezed juice from half an orange,
• 30 g sugar,
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or vanilla extract.

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
2. Place the mixed ingredients in a heatproof dish or on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
3. Bake them for about 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. The rhubarb and strawberries should soften slightly but not fall apart and keep their shape.
4. Remove the fruit from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. Place the fruit on the crumbly bottom of the tart covered with mascarpone cream or pudding.

Raspberries, blueberries and kiwi

Ingredients:

• 250 g raspberries,
• 250 g blueberries,
• 2 pieces of kiwi.

Preparation:

1. Cut the kiwi in half slices.
2. On the crumbly bottom of the tart covered with mascarpone cream or pudding, arrange the raspberries, blueberries and sliced kiwi according to your taste.

Tip: you can use any of your favorite seasonal fruits. Bananas and canned peaches work great as well.