There’s something timeless about a seasonal fruit tart. A crisp, buttery crust filled with silky pastry cream and topped with fresh, colorful fruit is so tempting. Executive Pastry Chef Selina Progar shares an elegant recipe that transforms simple ingredients into a beautiful and delicious dessert. Perfect for holidays and dinner parties, this tart is a showstopper that celebrates the best of the all the seasons.
Seasonal Fruit Tart Recipe
At the heart of this recipe is a classic sable dough tart crust, known for its delicate, crumbly texture. Paired with a smooth, vanilla-infused homemade pastry cream, the tart becomes the perfect canvas for fresh fruits. We love using figs, plums, and every kind of berry in this recipe. Each bite offers a balance of crisp crust, creamy filling, and juicy fruit, making it a dessert that feels both indulgent and refreshing.
Whether you’re an experienced baker or just starting out, this fruit tart recipe is approachable and rewarding. With Chef Selina Progar’s step-by-step guidance, you’ll learn how to create a bakery-quality tart right in your own kitchen. It’s a dessert that not only tastes incredible but also looks stunning on the table—an edible centerpiece that captures the beauty of seasonal ingredients.
Print
Seasonal Fruit Tart
Description
This buttery sable dough is tender yet crisp, made with almond flour for a delicate nutty flavor. It creates the perfect base for tarts, holding creamy fillings and fresh fruit beautifully.
Ingredients
- Sable Dough
- 95g eggs
- 5g vanilla
- 446g all purpose flour
- 57g Almond Flour/Meal
- 5g Salt
- 171g Powder sugar
- 228 g Butter, cold
Instructions
- Cream butter, salt, sugar, and almond flour.
- Add eggs, and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Add flour, and mix until smooth.
- Place dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Remove dough from the fridge, and with a dusting of flour, knead the dough so it forms a nice ball. Dust the table with additional flour, and roll the dough out to about the thickness of 2 quarters stacked. Place dough on a tray lined with parchment paper, and place it back in the fridge for 5 minutes. Don’t put it in the fridge longer, otherwise it will crack will you mold it.
- Place tart mold on top and run a knife about 2 inches larger than the tart ring you are using.
- Brush all the flour from the dough. Line a tray with parchment and lay the tart ring on the tray. Then lay the dough in the tart ring and press the dough into the grooves. Doing your best to create 90 degree angles at the corners. Be sure to press together any holes or cracks.
- Allow the excess dough to hang over the edges slightly.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then carefully trim the edges to match the pan with a pairing knife. Then place it back in the over for 10 minutes or until it is light brown. Cool completely. Keep wrapped at room temp
- Fill with pastry cream (Recipe below). Top with your favorite berries.
Pastry Cream
Description
Rich and silky, this classic pastry cream is infused with vanilla and whipped until smooth and light. It’s the perfect filling for tarts, pairing wonderfully with seasonal fruits like figs, plums, and berries.
Ingredients
- 13.5oz Heavy Cream
- 6.75oz Milk
- 1 Vanilla Bean, scraped
- 5oz Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 oz Corn Starch
- 7.5oz Yolks
Instructions
- Bring heavy cream, milk, and vanilla bean to a boil with
- Once the cream has boiled turn the heat on very low.
- Combine sugar, salt, yolks, and corn starch.
- Temper the cream and milk into the yolk mixture, by slowly pouring the cream into the yolks while whisking. Once fully incorporated pour it back into the pot on the stove. Turn heat to low medium.
- Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. At this point it may look separated, or pull away from the pot due to the high-fat content but do not worry. Continue to whisk continuously for 2 minutes. During this time the starch is being cooked off.
- Remove from heat and transfer into a separate bowl. Cool on an ice bath.
- Once cooled completely blend in either a food processor, with a hand emersion blender or household blender until light and smooth. This may need to be done in batches.
- Fill the pastry crust and smooth over with an offset or rubber spatula
- Finally top with your favorite fruits, including figs, plums, and or berries
Recipe by Selina Progar
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine’s print edition.
