Last year, the diplomatickitchen published a recipe for Swiss Plum Tart.  Since then, the dk has learned a new way to bake Swiss fruit tarts which is an exceedingly good method for ensuring that the crust crisps without growing soggy as the fruit cooks and releases its juices. This is not a new recipe, only a new technique to use with the original one, Swiss Plum Tart.  Other fruits besides plums make excellent fruit tarts in the Swiss style.  During the summer months there are many fresh fruit options to choose from for this simple recipe in which fruits are interchangeable.  Knowing how to make one form of Swiss fruit tart means knowing how to make many.  This time fresh apricots are in the tart, instead of plums.

An Update on Making Swiss Fruit Tarts (for a 14-inch round tart)

Note: To print this recipe, or any other diplomatickitchen recipe, go to the bottom of the page, at the end of the post, and click on the icon: Print & PDF. You will have the option of printing in smaller text size and without photos.

Ingredients:

• about 2 dozen fresh Apricots, pitted and quartered
• 3 – 4 Tablespoons of Sugar
• Puff Pastry (Packaged puff pastry works very well; rounds of it are available some places. If you are using narrow, rectangular sheets, place two together, slightly overlapping and roll together to form a single sheet of pastry.)

Equipment:

• a round Pizza Pan large enough to hold the round of pastry and a slightly smaller Pizza Pan or…a flat rectangular Baking Sheet large enough to hold the rectangle of pastry (made by rolling a couple of narrow rectangular sheets of pastry together) and a somewhat smaller rectangular Baking Sheet or Pan:  The Apricot Tart in the photos is made on an open-holed pizza pan.  An open-holed pan is very good for crisping the crust; during the first baking, the parchment paper under the dough prevents the raw pastry from sinking into the holes when it’s placed in the hot oven, causing the crust to stick to the pan.
• 2 pieces of Parchment Paper of approximately the same size as the pan on which the tart is baked

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2.  Place a sheet of parchment paper over the pan on which the tart will bake.  The paper should be a little larger than the round or rectangle of pastry.  Place the pastry on the parchment paper:

3.  Place a second piece of parchment paper of approximately the same size as the pastry on top of the pastry:

4.  Place the smaller pan on top of the parchment paper.  The rim of the second pan should not extend to the edge of the pastry.  The space between the rim of the smaller pan and the edge of the pastry will puff and form a raised rim on the tart crust:

5.  Place the pastry, sandwiched between the pans and the pieces of parchment, in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Take the pastry from the oven and remove the top pan and piece of parchment covering the pastry.  Slide the second piece of parchment out from under the crust so that the pastry lies directly on the baking pan.  The edge of the pastry will have formed a slightly raised rim, the crust will be a light golden color and the bottom will be slightly crisp:

6.  Arrange the fruit slices on the crust in concentric circles or in any pattern you like and sprinkle the fruit with 3 or 4 Tablespoons of sugar:

7.  Return the tart to the oven and bake it for 15 – 20 minutes more, or until the fruit is tender and juicy and the crust is a deep golden brown:

8.  The tart will slide easily onto a cutting board or tray for slicing and serving:

A Note:  This update is for the diplomatickitchen recipe Swiss Plum Tart which is part of the Occasional Menu:  Brunch with Plums, Apricots and little Cheese Tarts.  Swiss Apricot Tart is now on this Occasional Menu.  Use the recipe for Swiss Plum Tart, substituting apricots for plums.

© Elizabeth Laeuchli, the diplomatickitchen, 2011-2012