Rustic Tart with Mixed Stone Fruits

Rustic Tart with Mixed Stone Fruit

This recipe is very easy and so beautiful.  It is fantastic in late summer when plums, peaches and cherries are readily available.  It has great WOW factor for a good company dessert.

Ingredients:

• I package puff pastry – 2 sheets
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water
• 4 cups mixed fruit, washed, pitted and sliced.
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the fruit filling:

Wash fruit, remove pits and slice.  For peaches, peel.  Plums do not need to be peeled.  To easily pit cherries, use a paring knife to cut each cherry in half.  The pit can be easily removed with your fingers.

Place fruit in a large saucepan with butter, sugar and a pinch of salt.  Cook over medium heat until fruit softens and sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.  You should have quite a bit of liquid from the fruit in the pan.

Strain fruit and set aside.  Return juices to sauce pan.  Cook fruit juices over medium-high heat until thick and syrupy.  Stir frequently

For the pastry:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.

On a floured surface, roll one sheet puff pastry into a 12 inch by 12 inch square. Fold in each of the four edges to create a rim around the tart.  Using a fork, poke holes all over the bottom of the dough.  Don’t poke the dough that makes up the rim.

Carefully place the pastry on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Use a cookie sheet with rim around the edge to prevent fruit juices from dripping in your oven.

Mix the egg with the teaspoon of water to make an egg wash.  Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash.  Brush the rim as well.  Pre-bake the pastry without the fruit for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and assemble as described below.

For the lattice top:

Using the second sheet of puff pastry, cut a 3 inch strip and return the rest to the refrigerator for another recipe.  Roll out the 3 inch strip and cut into 3/4 inch strips.  Sprinkle the strips with the cinnamon sugar.

To assemble:

Pile the drained fruit on top of the pre-baked pastry.  Drizzle the reduced fruit juice syrup over the fruit, but RETAIN enough syrup to glaze the tart after baking (a few tablespoons).  Weave the lattice strips across the top of the fruit.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling.  Remove tart from oven and brush entire tart with remaining fruit syrup to give it a gorgeous glaze.

Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.