An Easy Fruitful Dessert Recipe

Delicious desserts can be made with the simplest of ingredients. This delectable fruit tart makes a beautiful display while using nature's sweetness to speak to the palate.  Saporito! 

Tartina Alla Frutta
by Dolce Vita Baskets

Ingredients:

4-5 cups of cut up fruit (pears, apples, peaches, or figs, etc.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of lemon
1 tablespoon corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water 

Place the cut up fruit in a medium size bowl.  Add the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon juice and fold all ingredients.  Drizzle the corn starch mixture over the fruit and fold again.  Arrange the fruit in a shortbread crust in a tart pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until crust is a light golden brown.  Allow to cool thoroughly on a cooling rack before attempting to remove the tart from the pan.  The removing of the tart will differ depending on the type of pan you use.  If the top of the pan just pulls away make sure you have placed the tart on the serving dish first.  If you have a pan that the tart remains on the bottom portion when it is removed, lift the tart straight out of the pan and transfer to a serving dish.

Shortbread Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
2 tablespoons confectionery sugar
sprinkle of powdered vanilla

In a medium size bowl add the flour, confectionery sugar and powdered vanilla, mix well.  Add the butter and 'cut in' with a pastry blender or large fork.  Do not stir, but rather toss the flour over the butter several times and then press the butter into the flour with the blender.  Continue this method until small coarse crumbs appear.  Blend once more with your fingers and shape into a ball, refrigerate with plastic wrap over the bowl for 30 minutes.

Grease the tart pan on the bottom and up the inside, carefully in the ridges. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 sections, and begin to 'press' the dough into the tart pan with your fingers.  Be careful to press the dough up on the sides so you get a nice finished edge after it is baked.  Check for any thin sections and fix accordingly.  Poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork and sprinkle a bit of flour.  Arrange the fruit mixture evenly across the tart pan and bake!

Experiment with a variety of fruits to your liking.  We used a compliment of Cranberry Compote to the fruit mixture which was divine!  You will find that recipe here as well in our recipe section.