Zomerse Vruchtentaart

So we've come to the end.  I'm grateful, the past five or so posts have been hard ones.  Thanks to all that have checked out my blog this month.  I've enjoyed reading all your comments (and I apologize for not responding to each of them).  I'm happy to have started following some of your blogs and reading about your worlds and interests.  Can't wait until next year!

I'm stretching things today, but I wanted to end on a sweet note (I know, puns are the lowest form of humor, but I still love them).  So, I'm using the Flemish name for this Belgian Summer Fruit Tart.  Also, it's not yet summer, so I had to substitute berries for the summer stone-fruit typically used in this recipe.  I'm looking at it as a practice run for when fresh plums, peaches, and sweet cherries are plentiful.

The beauty of this tart is its simplicity.  Fresh fruit is the star, surrounded by a sweet, bread-like crust.  It doesn't take too long to make or bake, and can be served warm or at room temperature.  It's the perfect dessert for a casual get together with friends.

Zomerse Vruchtentaart (Belgian Fruit Tart with Fresh Summer Fruit) adapted from Everybody Eats Well in Belgium by Ruth Van Waerebeek

A quick note: if you do as I did and substitute berries for stone-fruits, you will probably want to decrease the amount of sugar and increase the amount of flour used (my tart was a little sweet for my taste, and very juicy).

Ingredients:

2 lbs of fresh summer fruit: pitted sweet cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines, or fresh red currants, all peeled and pitted if necessary.  In Belgium its very common for them to use combinations of fruits in radial sections around the tart.
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 T flour
1 tsp cinnamon
Flemish Yeast Dough (see link for recipe)
egg wash (1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 1/2 T of sugar)

Glaze:
2 T of sugar
1 T red currant jelly
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 T cold water

In a large bowl, mix the fruit with the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Transfer the fruit to a colander r set over a bowl to collect juices.  Let sit for 30 minutes.

While the fruit is macerating, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter and flour two 8" tart pans or one 12" tart pan.

Roll out the dough (divide in half if making two tarts) into a circle about 1/4" thick.  Press into the pan, trim and crimp edges, and prick bottom all over with a fork.  Brush the bottom of the tart with the egg wash, then cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

Fill the tart shell with the fruit, reserving the juices for the glaze.  Brush the sides of the pastry with the remaining egg wash.

Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.

While the tart is cooling, make the glaze:  Place reserved fruit juices, sugar, and red currant jelly in a small saucepan.  (Depending on how much sugar is left in the fruit juices, you may not need the full 2 T for the glaze.)  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water, add to the pan, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until thickened.  Remove from heat, and spoon the glaze over your tart to give it a shine.