Two Three things:
1) Today my mom was giving me shit (while picking her apricots off her backyard tree) about how long it’s been since I’ve blogged.
2) I had a ton of cherries in my fridge.
3) I love summer so much, it’s not even funny. I mean, look at those jokers picking fruit from the tree! Does it get any better?
So, it’s almost as if the fruit tart heavens opened up today and declared “Today Sarah, you will bake. You will bake a tart. And you will do this tart while baby is sleeping, the older two are at camp, and oh yes, it’s 100 degrees outside. Go forth with tart.”
And I did.
Except, I forgot to bring home some of those apricots with me and I’m too lazy to drive .5 miles to my mom’s and get some.
I had blueberries in the fridge in addition to my pounds of cherries, so I decided to make a cherry-blueberry tart and really get into the July patriotic spirit. I used lime zest today in orange zest’s stead because who doesn’t love cherry and lime? Mmmm cherry limeade…
What I’m trying to tell you here is that this tart is SUPER DOOPER versatile. Just use the pick of the crop from July and August and add citrus, and you’re good to bake.
This can be whipped up so easily, I have to say, this is the second time I’ve made this tart in 4 days. The other version was the ACTUAL apricot/cherry version.
If you’ve got 10 minutes for prep time, and another 45-50 minutes for bake time, then you’ve got so much more time in the day for a gin & tonic, it’s not even funny.
And I begin…
apricot & cherry tart (page 101, Small Sweet Treats)
special equipment: 8-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom, 1 1/2 inches deep
1 (10-inch) quality store-bought pie crust
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large apricots, pitted and halved
8 fresh bing cherries, pitted and halved
powdered sugar for dusting
Place the pie crust into the tart pan. Chill while making the filling. (The pie crust, not you, but you could chill too.)
In a mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese, cream, egg, powdered sugar, cornstarch, orange zest (or lime or lemon if you choose), and salt until smooth, about 1 minute.
Place the apricots, cut side down, around the perimeter of the chilled pie crust in the tart pan. Scatter the cut cherries around the apricots and in the center of the tart. Pour the filling over the fruit. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until puffed and golden.
Remove from oven; chill for 1 hour before removing outer ring of tart pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before cutting. Serves 8.
Filed under: Baking, Brunch, Dessert, My Mom, Special Equipment, Summer Dessert, Uncategorized, Vegetarian Tagged: blueberries, Brunch, Cheese, Dessert, Farmer's Market, fruit, lemon, microplane, Quick & Easy, Small Sweet Treats
