Really Really Really Ridiculously (good looking) Simple Fruit Tart
You know I'm a huge believer in having a dessert table at every party. That doesn't mean you need to spend a ton of your time and money putting it together. This fruit tart is so unbelievably easy to assemble. Here's how its done:
What you'll need:
Pre-baked mini tart shells if you're going for hand held mini tarts.
Frozen tart shell for a large tart.
Pre-made vanilla pudding (I bought the jello snack packs)
Assortment of fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango, orange, kiwi)
Ziplock bag.
Optional top glaze for the large tart:
Apricot Jam.
Warm Water.
Lay out your mini tart shells. If baking a frozen tart or pie crust, follow instructions on the package. Let it cool and then set it on your workspace.
Fill the ziplock bag with COLD vanilla pudding.
Twist and cut the tip of the bag. Pipe the pudding into each mini shell as flat as possible. Do not fill all the way to the very top.
If making a large tart, you may skip steps 2 +3 and just fill the cooled shell with a thin layer of cold vanilla pudding by spooning it in and flattening the top. Make sure not to fill all the way to the top.
Cut the fruit into slices.
Top each mini tart with 3 little pieces of fruit in the center. If making a large tart then arrange the fruit in a way that it covers the whole tart. I like to make sure its arranged to where everyone would get a piece of every fruit in their slice.
Place tarts in the refrigerator immediately.
Top glaze option for large tart:
In a bowl, mix Apricot jam and a tiny bit of warm water until the mixture is thin enough to brush onto the top of the tart. Make sure its not too watery so your tart doesn't get soggy.
Brush as little as possible onto the tart making sure the fruit is just covered in the glaze. Place back into the refrigerator immediately.
Tips:
When making a large tart with a regular frozen pie crust...It is best to keep the tart cold as much as possible. Cut the fruit ahead of time or place the tart in the fridge while you do so. The longer the tart sits out the higher the chance it will just get soggy and fall apart when you cut into it.
Also the same reason to be careful of how much glaze you use.
An alternative to the mini shells and the frozen pie crust, is a graham cracker crust (they are easier to find and don't come with the risk of getting soft and falling apart!)
