French Fruit Tart (Tarte Aux Fruits)

There is no better dessert for summer than one that’s covered in a range of fresh fruit! That’s why we make a simple French Fruit Tart (also known as Tarte Aux Fruits) every time we have guests over in the summertime! Delicious crisp shortcrust pastry, filled with silky smooth creme patissiere and topped with all the fruit you love, creates a delicious, light and very good looking dessert! We used shop-bought shortcrust pastry for the most effortless tart!

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Inspiration Behind The Tarte Aux Fruits

When I was growing up, we lived by a huge supermarket that had an amazing bakery section. The counter always looked wonderful with all the intricate bakes and cakes that were unusual in a supermarket setting. And I would never let my parents finish a food shop unless we bought something from that counter (it may have involved a few dramatic tantrums some days, and some puppy-eyed begging on the others). One of my all-time favourites was the French Fruit Tart, each time topped with different types of fruit, in a different pattern. They were a true treasure both to the eye and the tastebuds.

Recently, I realised that there’s nothing intricate or difficult about them. They are simply filled with a rich vanilla flavoured custard and topped with fresh fruit that have flavours that speak for themselves. So today I am sharing a recipe for my childhood summer favourite, an amazing seasonal dessert for hot summer days – a Tarte Aux Fruits!

Homemade vs Shop-bought Shortcrust Pastry

Both shop-bought and homemade pastry will work perfectly fine. This recipe is based on unsweetened shop-bought pastry, which means that the filling is a little sweeter. However, you have more freedom when making pastry at home. You may choose to make sweet shortcrust pastry (also known as Pâte Sucrée). If you fancy making your own, we highly recommend A Baking Journey’s Sweet Shortcrust Recipe: it works every time, and there’re plenty of helpful tips too!

What Fruit to Use for Tarte Aux Fruits?

There are three main things to consider when choosing fruit to use on your Tarte Aux Fruits:

1. Choose fruit types that don’t brown easily when exposed to oxygen. If you are not eating the tart straight away, avoid pears and apples.
2. Avoid overly wet fruit, like watermelon, melon etc.
3. Choose all the fruit that you love to eat! Generally, all the fruit go well together, so you don’t have to worry about flavours that don’t match. So just go with whatever your heart desires!

A Note On Sugar

As with many recipes, the amount of sugar you use in the custard filling is completely up to your own tastebuds. I always use judgement when using various recipes and tend to reduce the amount stated by a little bit. This recipe is made using an unsweetened shortcrust pastry and a range of fruit that can be rather tart (kiwi and strawberries), so the amount of sugar in creme patisserie reflects that. If you are making your own pastry and choose to make sweet shortcrust, it may be a good idea to reduce the sugar amount in the recipe. Also, if you are covering your tart with all the sweetest fruit, custard may not need to be as sweet as it is in this recipe.

We also used ground arrowroot to glaze the tart top. Reduce the sugar slightly if you’re glazing with apricot jam.

How to Make French Fruit Tart?

Bake the Pastry Case

Unroll the shortcrust pastry and cut a circle approx. 5cm bigger than your tart tin.

Lift the pastry into your tart tin and gently push into the corners, letting any excess overhang the sides. Trim the edges so they are flush with the tart tin rim. Prick the bottom with a fork and place it in the freezer for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan. Place the tart in the oven for 25-30 minutes. It should be slightly browned and crisp. Once done, leave the tart case to cool completely.

How to Make Crème Pâtissière?

In the meantime, make your creme patissiere. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and caster sugar. Add the cornflour and whisk again to incorporate, making sure no lumps remain.

Heat the milk, double cream and vanilla in a saucepan. Take it off the heat just before it reaches boiling point.

Whisking continuously, slowly pour the cream mixture into the eggs.

Tip the mixture back into the pan and heat on low heat stirring, until the mixture thickens. It should be the consistency of thick custard. It will thicken further as it cools.

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover it with cling film placed directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for an hour.

Assemble Tarte Aux Fruits

Once your tart case and custard are completely cooled, spoon the custard into the tart and smooth the surface with the back of the spoon.

Cut your fruit and arrange it in any way you find pleasing to the eye.

Prepare the arrowroot glaze following the instructions on the packet. Using a pastry brush, glaze the fruit all over to keep them in place and create a lovely shine. Make sure not to use too much of it though – too much glaze will seep into the custard and make it too thin to cut a clean slice.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Delicious Summer Desserts

For other delicious summer desserts, have a look at some of our favourite recipes below:

• Pineapple & Coconut Roulade
• Individual Elderflower Fraisier Cakes
• Mango and Lime Fool

French Fruit Tart (Tarte Aux Fruits)

There is no better dessert for summer than one that's covered in a range of fresh fruit! That's why we make a simple French Fruit Tart (also known as Tarte Aux Fruits) every time we have guests over in the summertime! Delicious crisp shortcrust pastry, filled with silky smooth creme patissiere and topped with all the fruit you love, creates a delicious, light and very good looking dessert! We used shop-bought shortcrust pastry for the most effortless tart!

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Baking, Dessert

Cuisine French, Summer

Servings 6 portions

Calories 383 kcal

Equipment

• 20cm loose bottom tart tin

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 300 g ready rolled shortcrust pastry

For the Custard:

• 3 egg yolks
• 85 g caster sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon cornflour
• 185 ml double cream
• 125 ml whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste

For the Fruit Topping:

• 1 nectarine or peach ripe
• 4 grapes seedless
• 2 kiwis thinly sliced
• 6 strawberries cut into quarters
• 4 g arrowroot powder

Instructions

 

• Unroll the shortcrust pastry and cut a circle approx. 5cm bigger than your tart tin.
• Lift the pastry into your tart tin and gently push into the corners, letting any excess overhang the sides. Trim the edges so they are flush with the tart tin rim. Prick the bottom with a fork and place it in the freezer for half an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 160 C Fan. Place the tart in the oven for 25-30 minutes. It should be slightly browned and crisp. Once done, leave the tart case to cool completely.
• In the meantime, make your creme patisserie. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and caster sugar. Add the cornflour and whisk again to incorporate, making sure no lumps remain.
• Heat the milk, double cream and vanilla in a saucepan. Take it off the heat just before it reaches boiling point.
• Whisking continuously, slowly pour the cream mixture into the eggs.
• Tip the mixture back into the pan and heat on low heat stirring, until the mixture thickens. It should be the consistency of thick custard. It will thicken further as it cools.
• Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover it with cling film placed directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for an hour.
• Once your tart case and custard are completely cooled, spoon the custard into the tart and smooth the surface with the back of the spoon.
• Cut your fruit and arrange it in any way you find pleasing to the eye.
• Prepare the arrowroot glaze following instructions on the packet. Using a pastry brush, glaze the fruit all over to keep them in place and create a lovely shine. Make sure not to use too much of it though – too much glaze will seep into the custard and make it too thin to cut a clean slice.

Notes

See notes on amount of sugar and making your own pastry in the text above. 

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 228mgPotassium: 259mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 725IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg

Keyword French Custard And Fruit Tart, French Fruit Tart, Fresh Fruit Tart, Fruit & Custard Tart, Fruit Tart, Summer Desserts, Summer Fruit Tart, Tarte Aux Fruits, Tarte Aux Fruits Recipe

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