fruit pie

You don&#039;t have to share with these dessert with these mini fruit tarts! This recipe will show you have to get that crispy tart shell and silky custard filling at home.

Mini Fruit Tarts

flour

salt

80 g 1 tbsp and 1 tsp powdered sugar

115 g or 8 tbsp unsalted butter

ml vanilla extract

ml heavy cream

white sugar

g flour

376 ml or 13.28 oz whole milk

Assorted fresh fruit (sliced)

apricot jelly (or other clear jelly)

7.5 ml or 1 ½ tbsp water

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Mix on the lowest setting until the butter gets broken down into smaller pieces, about one minute of mixing. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then add the heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Mix on medium (setting 4 or 6) for about two minutes or until the mixture begins to look like crumbly sand. Test the dough by stopping the mixer and pinching some sandy dough between your fingers. If it sticks to itself and forms a piece of dough, you’re ready to knead. If it’s too dry, try adding one tablespoon of heavy cream at a time to adjust. (See image for how final dough consistency should be after mixing.)

Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and use your hand to form the sand into a ball of dough. I like to do this in the bowl because it’s less of a mess.

Scoop about three tablespoons of dough and use your hands to mold and flatten the dough straight into the tart molds. (Three tablespoons is about 60 grams of dough for a four-inch tart mold).

Use a fork to prick throughout the bottom of each tart mold.

Chill the tarts in the molds in the freezer for at least one hour before baking, this will prevent the dough melting too much or shrinking in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Take your tarts straight from the freezer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. TIP: At around 8 minutes, check on your tarts to see if their centers are rising. If they are rising, you can open the oven and use a measuring cup to flatten the centers with a tiny bit of pressure. Continue to bake them until you see the edges begin to brown, then remove from the oven.

Remove the tart shells from the molds and cool them on a rack. The finished shells should be slightly hard to the touch. If you press the centers and they feel soft or there is some flex when you hold them up, they need to be placed back in their molds to continue baking for a few more minutes (make sure to watch these as they finish cooking).

These tart shells can be pre-made a few days before assembly, just make sure to fridge them after they cool.

Dough

While your tart shells are chilling in the freezer, you can make the custard. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.

Sift together the flour and cornstarch. Whisk in the sifted flour and cornstarch to the egg yolk mixture.

Add the whole milk and vanilla extract into the egg yolk mixture.

Move the custard mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and constantly whisk for about one to two minutes or until it begins to thicken. TIP: You will begin to see little thick specks of custard on the bottom of the pan as it begins to thicken. Do not stop whisking at this point, but if you feel this process is going to fast you can remove the pan off the heat and whisk to blend the custard properly. Your custard is done when the consistency is similar to a thick pudding. This process should take no more than a few minutes. (See  image here for how the final consistency should look.)

Remove it from the pan and place the custard in a container to cool for at least 30 minutes before assembly. This custard can be made a day in advance and fridged.

Custard

Slice your preferred fruit. I like strawberries, blackberries, and kiwi.

Glaze: Add apricot jelly and water in a small bowl. Microwave for about 10-15 seconds to melt the apricot jelly slightly, and mix together using a spoon. Strain the jelly mixture.

TIP: To prevent your tarts from getting soggy, brush on some glaze to the tart before adding the custard filling. This should act as a barrier.

Take one shell tart and spoon in the whipped custard cream. I like to add enough custard to fill about ¾ of the tart shell. Arrange your fruit on top however, you prefer. Brush on the apricot glaze over the fruit tart. Serve immediately or chill for about 15 minutes if you want a nice and cold treat.

Assembly

Inspired by Lana Ross's winning pie at the 2010 Iowa State Fair.

Pear Crumb Pie

recipe unbaked Perfect Piecrust

c. all-purpose flour

c. butter

c. light brown sugar

c. old-fashioned oats

c. chopped toasted pecans

c. sugar

cinnamon

c. Bartlett pears

cranberries

Easy to make raspberry pie can be made with either fresh or frozen raspberries. This is the perfect dessert - tart, sweet, perfect raspberry pie!

Raspberry Pie

recipe Perfect Pastry (or enough pastry

raspberries (fresh

sugar

all-purpose flour

lemon juice

nutmeg

water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, gently toss together the...

In a large bowl, gently toss together the raspberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and nutmeg. Set aside.

Roll out half of the pastry and fit...

Roll out half of the pastry and fit it inside a 9 inch pie plate, trimming off the excess pastry.

Place the raspberry mixture inside the pie crust.

Lightly wet the edge of the crust with...

Lightly wet the edge of the crust with a bit of water.

Roll out the other half of the pastry...

Roll out the other half of the pastry and set it over top of the berries, or cut it into one inch strips and weave the strips into a lattice top over the berries.

Crimp the edges to seal them. If you...

Crimp the edges to seal them. If you are using a full crust, cut slits in the top to vent the pie.

Whisk together the egg and water and brush...

Whisk together the egg and water and brush it lightly over top of the pastry.

Sprinkle with a bit of extra sugar.

Place the pie on a baking sheet in...

Place the pie on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over, and bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and...

Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling.

If the pastry is getting too brown and...

If the pastry is getting too brown and the filling isn’t bubbling yet, tent some foil over top to prevent more browning.

Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing...

Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing so that the filling will firm up.

This cherry pie is the best you will ever have!

Mulled Cherry Bomb Pie

red wine

brown sugar

vanilla extract

cherries, pitted

corn starch

pie crust rounds, homemade

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the wine, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil. Boil 3-4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cherries and simmer until the cherries soften slightly, about 5 minutes.2. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with cold water until completely smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the cherries, stirring until combined. Reduce the heat and simmer 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has lightly thickened around the cherries. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before filling your pie.3. Grease an 8-inch pie plate. Roll out 1 disk of dough onto a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Carefully transfer the crust to the prepared pie plate. Lift up the edges and allow the dough to sink down into the bottom of the dish. Trim edges to even out crust if needed, then prick the bottom of the dough with a fork a few times. Now grab the remaining disk of dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside.4. Grab your cooled cherry pie filling. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Make sure to scrape in all the good juices out of the pan. Grab the reserved pie round and place overtop of the cherries. Push the edges of the top crust into the pie plate and then crimp the edges of the bottom crust together with the top crust to seal the pie5. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Using a sharp knife, slice four holes in the top of the crust for air pockets. Cover and chill pie until crust is firm, at least 1 hour.6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, about 50–60 minutes longer - if the crust is getting too brown, tent with foil. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.7. Serve the pie warm or cool with a big scoop of ice cream!

Try our classic Bramley apple pie with homemade shortcrust pastry. Simplicity is key to this traditional dish which makes for a comforting family pudding.

Ultimate apple pie

1kg Bramley apples

golden caster sugar

tbsp flour

butter, room temperature

golden caster sugar,

eggs

plain flour, preferably organic

cream,

Put a layer of paper towels on a large baking sheet. Quarter, core, peel and slice the apples about 5mm thick and lay evenly on the baking sheet. Put paper towels on top and set aside while you make and chill the pastry.

For the pastry, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until just mixed. Break in a whole egg and a yolk (keep the white for glazing later). Beat together for just under 1 min – it will look a bit like scrambled egg. Now work in the flour with a wooden spoon, a third at a time, until it’s beginning to clump up, then finish gathering it together with your hands. Gently work the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for 45 mins. Now mix the 140g/5oz sugar, the cinnamon and flour for the filling in a bowl that is large enough to take the apples later.

After the pastry has chilled, heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to line a pie tin – 20-22cm round and 4cm deep – leaving a slight overhang. Roll the remaining third to a circle about 28cm in diameter. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper, and tip them into the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Give a quick mix with your hands and immediately pile high into the pastry-lined tin.

Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the pastry lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal. Trim the edge with a sharp knife and make 5 little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape. (Can be frozen at this stage.) Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for 40-45 mins, until golden, then remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins. Sprinkle with more sugar and serve while still warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.

Winter desserts don't get any better than baked apple tarts. Try this version with rich cream cheese.

Apple and mascarpone tarts

butter,

maple syrup

butter

mascarpone

milliliters double cream

nutmeg,

(1 cup) plain flour

chilled butter, chopped

tsp icing sugar

Enjoy wafer-thin strudel pastry and a rich apple filling in these cinnamon-dusted pastry desserts.

Apple strudels

(1/2 cup) sultanas

filo pastry

butter, melted, cooled

egg, lightly whisked

cinnamon,

Vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Why wait until summer? Bring tropical fruit flavour to your afternoon with this baked passionfruit tart.

Baked passionfruit tart

(1 1/2 cups) plain flour

(1/3 cup) icing sugar mixture

tbsp water

milliliters (1 cup) thickened cream

(1/2 cup) caster sugar

(2/3 cup) passionfruit pulp

The creamy ricotta and sticky jam in this pretty tart take your tastebuds to Italy.

Crostata di ricotta e marmellata (ricotta and jam tart)

(2 3/4 cup) plain flour

tbsp lemon rind

tsp baking powder

tsp vanilla extract

(1 cup) blackberry jam

Pure icing sugar, to dust

(2 cups) fresh ricotta

(1/3 cup) caster sugar

A classic American apple pie slab made from sharp Granny Smith apples and served with thick cream. What could be better?

Apple and ginger slab pie

Granny Smith apples, peeled, chopped

lemon

ginger

tsp allspice

ginger,

tbs plain flour

egg, lightly beaten

(500 grams) plain flour,

unsalted butter, chopped

sour cream

This gourmet version of apple tart is perfect for winter entertaining.

Crostata di mele (apple tart) with mascarpone custard

marzipan

unsalted butter, softened

lemon zest, lemon juice

(75 grams) plain flour

golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced

(220 grams) caster sugar

(80 grams) sultanas

amaretti biscuits (see note), ground in a food processor (to give 1/4 cup)

plain flour

pure icing sugar,

chilled unsalted butter, chopped

(75 grams) caster sugar

cornflour

mascarpone cheese

tbsp pure icing sugar,

tsp cornflour

This bottomless fruit pie with a crumbly sour cream crust is an American classic.

Pear & raspberry pandowdy

each) pears

tsp cinnamon

tsp mixed spice

tbsp caster sugar

tbsp honey

(1 cup) self-raising flour

tbsp icing sugar

tbsp custard powder

butter, chopped

(1/4 cup) sour cream

raspberries

demerara sugar

Double cream

Plum & apple pies

(1/4 cup) chopped walnut halves

red apple, peeled, halved, cored, cut into thin wedges

(about 180 grams) plums, halved, stones removed

light milk

vanilla ice-cream

reduced-fat dairy spread (Devondale brand)

egg white, lightly whisked

Update traditional festive fruit-mince tarts by filling them with a tempting combination of fresh raspberries and jam.

Raspberry tarts

(2 cups) plain flour

(1/4 cup) icing sugar mixture

(1/4 cup) raspberry jam

tbsp white sugar

This open fruit tart looks and tastes fantastic for very little effort – frangipane flavours complement sugar plums

Plum & almond pastry

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Top 25 fruit pie recipes from across the web

The most viewed fruit pie recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mini Fruit Tarts

Pear Crumb Pie

Raspberry Pie

Mulled Cherry Bomb Pie

Ultimate apple pie

Apple and mascarpone tarts

Apple strudels

Baked passionfruit tart

Crostata di ricotta e marmellata (r...

Apple and ginger slab pie

Crostata di mele (apple tart) with ...

Crostata di mele (apple tart) with ...

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The most viewed fruit pie recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine