(Fruit tart, Italy-style - Traditional recipe)

Time: preparation: 60 minutes ........ cooking: 40-50 minutes Short pastry (serves 10-12) 300 g (10 1/2 oz) pastry cream Assorted seasonal fresh fruit Powdered cake jelly Unsalted butter for oiling the baking pan Dried beans Foil for lining your tart shell Medium difficulty

  Spoon measures are American spoons, that is standard cook's measuring spoons used in USA.
  The best plan is to regard 2 American teaspoons or tablespoons as 1 English teaspoon or tablespoon (eating spoons)

Prepare the short pastry following our recipe; remember to double our doses.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and butter very well a 10 1/2 inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick round. Transfer it to the pan. Crimp the excess dough to make a uniform edge with a fork or your fingers. Pierce the bottom of your tart 15 to 20 times with a fork. Line the tart with foil. Fill the tart with
dried beans or pie weights. Bake 20-25 minutes. The cooking time is very important: in fact your shell must be neither hard nor dry. Transfer to rack and cool completely; then remove
the foil and beans. You can prepare the shell in advance, the day before.
To assemble tart, place shell on a large serving plate. Prepare the pastry cream following our directions and, when it is cold, spoon it on the bottom of the tart and smooth with a knife. Wash and slide the seasonal fruit you have chosen (the tart in the picture has been filled
with 2 kiwis, a banana, some blackberries, 2 red plums and white grapes). Arrange fruit in concentric circles on the top of the pastry cream. Prepare the cake jelly, let it warm up and then brush it over the fruit. You need this step to preserve the beauty and freshness of the fruit.
Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Note

• - You can choose your prefered fruit according to the season. In winter you can use pineapple in syrup with candied cherries or a combination of tangerine segments, shelled walnuts, kiwis and bananas ...
• - If you have no time, you can use frozen short pastry and powdered pastry cream (you can prepare it dissolving the powder in milk according to the directions on the package).
• - If you don't find powdered cake jelly or you don't want to use it, you can prepare the glaze in another way. In a small saucepan over low heat or in a custard cup in the microwave, warm 1/2 C apple or raspberry jelly and some tablespoons cold water until melted, then spoon or brush the glaze over the fruit.

What's the right wine?
Our suggestion is: a good sweet sparkling wine

If you want to combine this dish with other ones for a complete menu,
consult our "Members-only Area".