logo left
logo right
XML RSS

Fruit Tart Recipes

Both of these fruit tart recipes include kirsch, a brandy made from distilling fermented cherry juice. The word kirsch is German and means simply cherry. Cherry brandy is a popular ingredient in recipes from the Alsace region in eastern France, which shares a border with Germany.

Kirsch in recipes

cherries
You'll often find kirsch paired with fruits and featured in pastries, and it is also an ingredient in some fondue recipes. When they use it in recipes, the French use a cooking brandy, which is actually a mixture of kirsch and neutral alcohol. If you want to sip kirsch as an after dinner digestif, be sure to select a true cherry brandy and not the cooking variety.

Plums for Your Plum Tart

When I first came to France and heard people speak of prunes I assumed they were talking about dried plums. I soon found out that the French word for plum is prune and the word for prune is pruneaux. There are several different varieties of plums grown in France, and that appear at the grocery store in the summer and early fall. Some of the more popular types are:
plums
  • Reine Claude - round, green, firm and sweet
  • Mirabelle - small, yellow to orange, with a yellow-orange flesh
  • Quetsche - large, oval, dark purple skin with a yellow flesh
  • Americano-Japonaise - can be quite large, a recent addition to French markets
To make these fruit tart recipes, I used what I found at the grocery store in May, which unfortunately meant plums from Chile. I prefer buying in season fruit but the tart didn't care - it still looked and tasted wonderful!


Tarte aux Prunes

Plum Tart
  • 1 unbaked pie shell
  • 2 pounds plums
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons Kirsch
Fit the pie shell to a 10 inch tart pan and prick the bottom several times with a fork.

Wash the plums, cut them in two, and remove the pits. Place them skin side down in the tart shell. Sprinkle the fruit with two tablespoons of the sugar.

Beat the rest of the sugar (6 tablespoons) with the egg. Stir in the flour and mix completely. Stir in the milk, butter, and Kirsch.

Pour the mixture over the plums and bake at 400°F for 45 minutes. Let cool completely. Serve cold.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.


Cherries for your Cherry Tart

lots of cherries
There are many different sorts of French fruit tart recipes. Here's a yummy cherry tart. It takes a little time to prepare because you have to pit all of those cherries. Maybe you can get one of your kids to do that. Be sure you have a cherry pitter.

You can makes this cherry tart with Montmorency cherries if you can find them, but any cherry that is good for baking would work well.


Tarte Montmorency

cherry tart
  • 1 unbaked pie shell
  • 2 pounds cherries, pitted
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon Kirsch
Fit the pie shell to a 10 inch tart pan and prick the bottom several times with a fork.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the cherries. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue cooking the sauce thickens and caramelizes slightly. Remove from heat and pass through a sieve. (You won't need the cooking juices.)

Spread the cherries on top of the tart shell.

Beat the eggs with the other 1/4 cup of sugar and the flour. Stir in the milk and the Kirsch. Pour this mixture on top of the cherries. Bake at 400° F for 40 minutes.

Allow to cool completely and serve cold.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.



Search here for more French recipes, foods, and entertaining ideas:


Return from Fruit Tart Recipes to French Fruit Recipes

Explore other French Desserts





Do you love French food and culture and wish you knew more?

Find out what's simmering in

La Marmite

a monthly newsletter featuring seasonal recipes and ideas for entertaining in a French style.

Next issue: Celebrate Chandeleur with Crepes!




Try another easy French dessert:

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Chocolate Truffle Recipe

Chocolate Pot de Creme

Creme Brulee Recipe

Creme Caramel Recipe

French Apple Tart

Fruit Tart Recipes

Lemon Tart

Pear Dessert Recipe: Chocolate Pear Tart

Popular French pear recipes include Poached Pears

Recipe for Baked Apples

Strawberry Mousse Recipe

Strawberry Tart Recipe

Sugar Pie Recipe


Kick the Can!
Stop depriving yourself of real food. Most canned whipped cream is full of chemicals and not much that came from a cow. Use this easy Whipped Cream Recipe for your French desserts and rediscover your taste buds.




Copyright© 2008 Easy French Food. | Template Design