Pure Hunger

When people are invited over to our place for dinner I am simultaneously giddy and anxious. I want everything to taste unbelievable. Not just edible but inspiring. Yes. Inspiring. I want conversation to feel effortless and time to pass as fast as wine glasses are filled. You can imagine just how much I fret over what to serve. I often scour my favorite blogs, cook books and even my own recipes to find that perfect item. This time I was only in charge of dessert so my anxiety was down just a few notches. It was a potluck dinner and my husband was making smoked brisket. While walking to the market that morning we stumbled on some berries that were so unique i couldn’t help myself despite the crisper full of raspberries and strawberries at home.

Ingredients

Cooks Illustrated August 2011 Edition

Fruit Tart

1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
10 TBSp butter cold
3-6 Tbsp ice water

Filling*
1 lb peach, apricots, stone fruit
1 cup berries
3-5 Tbsp sugar

* I used 2 cups berries and 2 Tbsp sugar

These were yellow raspberries and a hybrid blackberry and marionberry. I can’t recall the name but it should be called “Delicious”. I happily paid for a flat and began scheming my contribution to the night. While at another potluck recently, I had coveted and consumed several pieces of a fruit tart by a fellow garden member. I immediately called her and requested the recipe and set to work.

I’m thrilled to report it didn’t take much work and the results were astounding. This is by far one of my favorite desserts of the summer. Sweet, tart, rich and flaky and paired perfectly with some vanilla ice cream. I beg you to make it. Don’t be intimidated by the crust. It’s incredibly easy and very forgiving. I am also happy to report that my anxiety melted like the ice cream on my plate as everyone dug into the food and conversed with ease. It was by far one of the most wonderful gatherings yet.

If you have a food processor: Pulse flour and salt to combine, scatter butter pieces over flour and pulse to small peas. 1 Tbsp water till dough together when pinched. If you do not have a food processor: Mix together flour and salt. Scatter butter pieces over flour and cut into butter with pastry cutter or fork until like sand. Add 1 Tbsp water and mix until dough comes together when pinched. It should look somewhat dry. I believe mine was a bit too wet.

Empty dough on work surface. Take small chunk of dough and place in front of you. Take heel of hand and press away from you creating a line of smeared dough. Gather dough and set aside. Complete with all of dough. This technique is called “Fraisage” and you can watch the video if you click on the link. Put into four inch disk for one hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough on sheet of parchment paper about 12 inches in diameter and 3/16 inch thick then refrigerate about 15 minutes. Mix together berries and sugar while dough is in fridge. Take dough out of fridge and mound filling in center, leaving about 2 1/2 inches on edge.

Fold over edges near fruit and press to secure. This direction was very tricky to me. If you take an edge and fold it over the fruit then press down on the edge it will create a semi-closed circle. This video demonstrates the technique really well. Brush dough with water and sprinkle with sugar and bake 50-55 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 10 min.