Free-Form Fruit Tart

Or, as I lovingly refer to it: The easiest, most delicious, spectacular, did I mention delicious, tart ever!

I didn’t take many step by step pictures, almost none actually, but it’s because every time I make this tart all I can think about it eating it. I never remember to get the camera out.

Use any stone fruit, or even just fresh summer berries to make the tart. So far I’ve stuck to nectarines (delicious), and white flesh peaches (not so delicious). The white flesh peaches were a mistake on Bo’s part, but that’s what happens when you ask your husband to stop at the store and bring home some nectarines. Ok, so maybe it’s because all the nectarines in the store were covered is flies and it grossed him out, or maybe he just wanted it made with peaches but didn’t realize there were more than one kind.

We’ll probably never know the truth.

On with the tart!

What you won’t see pictured is the mixing of the sour cream and water, or the blending of the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and butter in the food processor. You know what else you won’t see? The disk of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, or that same dough then rolled out between two sheets of parchment paper. Oh yeah, you also won’t see the bowl of sliced nectarines.

So, on to what you can see. Once you’ve got the dough rolled out, top it with the sliced fruit (leaving at least an inch from the edge). Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of sugar (more or less depending on how sweet the fruit is), then dot with butter pieces.

Next, fold up the edges of the tart, brush the edge with water, then sprinkle on another couple of tablespoons of butter.

Pop this baby in the oven, and in about 45 minutes you’re snacking on this beauty:

A little note here; the size of the tart you make can really vary. The one above is what I make for the three of us (poor Anna stuck on only milk). Honestly, this tart should do 4-6 for dessert, but Bo and I bring it upstairs with us when we watch TV and knock it back. When my grandparents came over for dinner though, I just rolled the dough thinner to make a larger tart. This one would have easily served at least 8, but Bo and I finished off the second half when we got back from a movie. Waistlines beware with this one.

Any way, here’s a shot of the larger tart, so you have a better idea:

And, here’s your printable:

Free-Form Fruit Tart

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• DOUGH
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup cornmeal (fine ground)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 7 tbsp butter, cut into ½" pieces
• FILLING
• 3 cups of stone fruit or berries, cut into ¼" slices
• 3 to 6 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp butter, cut into ¼" pieces
• water

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Stir together water and sour cream in a small bowl and place in fridge.
3. Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Place half of the butter on top of the flour mixture and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas (about 4 pulses). Add the rest of the butter to the food processor and pulse again, until most of the butter is incorporated but a few pea sizes pieces are left. Get the sour cream mixture from the fridge and, with the processor running, pour it down the feed tube. Stop when the dough comes together around the blade (this only takes a couple of seconds).
5. Flatten the dough into a 6"-8" disk with your hand, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. While the dough is cooling, slice up your fruit.
9. Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap, and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out until about ¼" thick (less if you're making a bigger tart). Remove the top piece of parchment and move onto a rimmed baking sheet (keeping the bottom piece of parchment).
11. Top with the sliced fruit, leaving at least a 1" distance between the fruit and the edge of the tart. Sprinkle with 1 to 3 tablespoons of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. dot with the butter pieces.
13. Fold the edges of the tart up and over the fruit, and then brush it lightly with water. Sprinkle an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar over the tart, especially on the pastry edge.
15. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the fruit filling is bubbling. Let cool for ten minutes on the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack or cutting board by sliding the parchment paper off of the tray.