Isn’t it a beauty?

My half-sister Sylvia, who is a passionate foodie and chef extraordinaire, recently made this gorgeous fruit tart for her grandson’s birthday. Doesn’t it perfectly capture the essence of summer — all its colors and sweetness with its bounty of fresh fruit that’s ours just for the taking?

Of course when I saw it, I just had to ask for the recipe, which she graciously agreed to share with us. Next time you visit your farmer’s market or grocery store, look for a colorful selection of fruit to make your own tart. This is a nice dessert to celebrate Independence Day or to take to any picnic or cookout, sure to impress all your friends and guests.

Sylvia: To make the fruit tart, bake the crust until golden brown and pour enough of the cream filling to line it well (it doesn’t have to be too thick). Arrange any selection of fruit that appeals to you on top of the cream layer, just keeping in mind contrasting color and design. To finish it off and give it that polished, professional look, melt some currant jelly and brush it carefully onto the tops of the fruit. Bon Appétit!

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11″ TART SHELL

1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1-1/2 sticks butter
1 T sugar
1/8 T salt

1. In food processor, combine flour, butter, sugar and salt and process until the mix resembles coarse meal.

2. Add one at a time, 3-4 tablespoons of cold water and process until mix resembles small peas. Do not mix until it forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly just until dough comes together. Flatten into a 6-inch dish and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or longer.

3. Roll dough into 15-inch disk. Press dough against the fluted side of the pan and trim off any excess. Prick the bottom, cover with plastic, and freeze for about 30 minutes before baking.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add pie weights and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is almost dry. Remove foil and weights and bake for 5-8 minutes longer or until the crust is lightly browned.

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VANILLA CREAM FILLING
(for 8″ pie or 11″ fruit tart)

½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a sauce pan.

2. Blend egg yolks and milk together and gradually stir into sugar mixture.

3. Cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens.

4.  Boil and stir for one minute.

5. Remove from heat, blend in butter and vanilla.

6. For fruit tart, pour into bowl and cover with waxed paper or parchment.

7. Refrigerate until at room temperature.

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Thank you so much, Syl! I’m still hoping you’ll adopt me, so I can pretend it’s my birthday all the time and I can eat treats like this every day ☺.

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Copyright © 2012 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.