Tiny Tart
Tiny fruits merit tiny tarts. Making small desserts is my recent nod to dieting. Barely a nod… more like a twitch or, at most, a raised eyebrow. I love cooking and eating too much to ruin it with that four-letter word, “diet.” However, I am trying to make smaller desserts: small batch cookies, cakes, and (case in point) tarts. This approach yields fewer tempting leftovers.
I have a very small and rather adorable pie plate that is just the right size for a half batch of my pâte brisée (a.k.a. pie crust). You can tell how small it is – it is smaller than the dessert plate I used! The tiny apricots I got at Sunday’s farmers market were perfectly proportioned for this tiny tart.
I made a few changes to my standard pâte brisée; I mixed white flour and whole wheat flour, added a little sugar, and, instead of ice water, used cold milk. Inspired by a young Pugliese cook/baker whom I follow on Instagram (@fra_rulo), I trimmed the crust to resemble a sunflower or daisy.
The rest was easy. I slathered a couple of tablespoons of my homemade apricot jam on the bottom of the crust, then added lightly sweetened apricot halves, cut side down. Many recipes for apricot tarts show the fruit cut-side up, but I think it’s prettier my way. It’s a really simple tart that packs amazing flavor.
~ David
Fresh Apricot Tart
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 2 3/8 ounces white flour (see notes)
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 4 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons chilled milk (whole, 2%, or 1%)
- 2 heaping tablespoons apricot jam, room temperature (see notes)
- 9-10 small apricots, or 6 large apricots
- almond or vanilla extract
- egg white or additional milk, for brushing
- vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the two flours and sugar. Add the chilled butter and toss to coat. Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles cornflakes. Sprinkle this mixture with the milk and, using a fork, toss the mixture until it begins to come together. Finish bringing it together with your hands.
- On a well-floured board or countertop, roll out the dough to a 9-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough in a small pie plate (8 inches) with a flat rim. Using a 1 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut semi circles around the rim as shown in the photo above. Place the pie crust in the refrigerator while you heat the oven and prepare the apricots.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Slice the apricots in half; remove and discard the pits. Place apricot halves in a small bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Sprinkle over a few drops of extract and mix. Let’s sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Remove the crust from the refrigerator and spoon the apricot jam onto the base. Spread it evenly to the edges of the bottom. Take the sugared apricot halves and place them, cut-side down, around the outer edge of the tart, then fill in the center with remaining halves. If any sugar remains in the bowl, sprinkle it over top. If any apricot halves remain, eat them!
- Using a pastry brush, brush the visible edges of the crust with egg white or milk. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Don’t worry if the jam seems a little loose; it will firm up as it cools.
- Serve each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you like.
- Serves 4.
- Notes
- – If you do not have a kitchen scale, simply measure a third a cup of the white flour and place it in the bowl. Fill the 1/3 cup measure again but only halfway with white flour, then fill it to the top with whole wheat flour. (Much easier than using fractions!).
- – Using part whole wheat flour adds flavor and texture without making the crust heavy or tough.
- – If the apricot jam you have is very chunky, purée the large chunks before spreading the jam in the crust.
- – Double this crust recipe for a 10-inch pie plate with a flat rim. The number of apricots will depend on their size. Baking time should remain the same.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mad Dog
June 17, 2023 at 6:43 amHow delicious! Your cut pastry looks great and I like the old bakiing tin.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:54 pmI love the tin, too, Mad Dog – my favorite tins are all of that era. They remind me so much of my mother.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
June 17, 2023 at 12:01 pmI really love your presentation. The petal crust and golden apricots really does remind me of a sunflower.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:53 pmI really am grateful to my friend Francesco – he inspired the crust even if his was so different. Thanks, Karen!
Gerlinde de Broekert
June 17, 2023 at 12:15 pmIt’s beautiful David, what a special treat. I wish I had a slice right in front of me.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:53 pmI wish you were here to have a slice, Gerlinde!
Eha
June 17, 2023 at 5:24 pmNo fresh stone fruit in sight for many a month yet hereabouts – so can but admire and envy the luscious presentation and trust you are enjoying it and your weekend!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:53 pmOh, yes, Eha – you do have quite a bit of time before you will see stone fruits! But it will be worth the wait!
angiesrecipes
June 17, 2023 at 8:16 pmDon’t you just love stone fruit season?!! The tart looks fabulous, David.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:52 pmThanks, Angie – I do love it. And I just cannot get enough!
Ronit
June 18, 2023 at 9:45 amMy kind of summer tart. Great idea, to create smaller desserts! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:50 pmI am now working on a bunch of small tarts. I guess it defeats my intention to eat smaller desserts!
Inger
June 18, 2023 at 1:46 pmI love the fruit this direction. A local organic fruit producer had the most beautiful apricots last year and I couldn’t figure out how to show them off properly. This, of course, is the answer. The crust treatment is beautiful too and love that you used some whole wheat flour. That is going to need to become a mission of mine for healthier eating.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:49 pmThe wheat flour was such a nice addition and, combined with the milk (1%), it made a truly tender crust! I hope you get a chance to make it.
sherry
June 18, 2023 at 9:26 pmthis is very pretty David. Can’t say I’d ever thought of making my pastry crust so pretty 🙂 Fresh apricots are so delightful.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:47 pmIt was fun cutting out the crust like that, Sherry – and it took no time at all!
Madalaine McDaniel
June 19, 2023 at 2:22 pmThis Fresh Apricot Tart recipe from Cocoa & Lavender sounds absolutely amazing! The combination of juicy fresh apricots and a buttery, flaky crust creates a delightful dessert. The presentation is stunning, with the vibrant apricot slices arranged in an elegant pattern on top of the tart. The preparation process appears to be a labor of love, allowing the natural sweetness of the apricots to shine through. It’s a recipe that celebrates the beauty of seasonal fruit and promises a heavenly treat that’s both visually appealing and delicious. Perfect for those who appreciate the simple elegance of a classic fruit tart!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:46 pmHi Madalaine – it is nice to meet you! I just took a quick peek at Lakeside Table – looks fantastic! I am so glad you like this little tart – it is really so simple, especially when the beauty of the apricots makes it look so spectacular!
Velva
June 20, 2023 at 9:49 amDavid, this is a beautiful tiny tart. Definitely perfect for smaller portions. I am all over stone fruits this time of year. They bring so much flavor and texture to desserts and salads.
As always, loved the post.
Velva
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:42 pmThanks, Velva – I hope that it is the same in Florida: this year, the stone fruits are super flavorful!
Raymund
June 22, 2023 at 12:53 amI completely understand your approach of making smaller desserts as a nod to dieting without sacrificing your love for cooking and eating. After all, life is too short to deprive ourselves of delicious treats.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:41 pmYep, I don’t want to give up: good food, good flavor, and certainly not desserts!
Valentina
June 24, 2023 at 9:04 amLove apricots, and all stone fruits — and I especially love tiny cooking vessels. What a sweet little (and delicious) tart! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
June 24, 2023 at 9:37 pmI hope we have a couple more weeks of apricots, Valentina. Actually, last Sunday I got apriums (apricot-plum hybrid) and they were super delicious!
Marcelle
June 25, 2023 at 3:30 pmDavid, I’m going to follow your lead and make more small batch desserts. That’s very smart. I often make a cake to last us through the week and that means I eat cake daily 😆 Probably not the best diet assistant, although it is good for the soul. This apricot tart looks delicious and so fresh, love the beautiful scalloped you put on the crust. 💚
Christina Conte
June 25, 2023 at 9:04 pmJust adorable, David! I love that thinking, too–shrinking pan sizes instead of doing without: brilliant! I remember seeing these on social media, just getting a chance now to catch up on your beautiful creations!
2pots2cook
June 28, 2023 at 5:01 amWhat a treat! Home made jam and fresh apricots on the top! Who could ask for more?!?
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
July 17, 2023 at 4:21 pmSmall desserts are definitely cute and elegant, and they’re also easier to style for food photography. And of course, you can always make a few same things just with different filling – but that will not be helpful for dieting, I guess 🙂 This tart looks stunning, and I bet it tastes great. I also think that a touch of fresh lavender buds would be terrific (lavender and apricots go really well together. )
Cocoa & Lavender
July 21, 2023 at 2:50 pmI made a similar tart yesterday with plum jam (homemade) topped with an almond paste crumble. Delightful!