Simple Fresh Fruit Tart

Yesterday my husband said, “Do you know what I want to do for dinner?” Immediately my mind started racing. You see, my husband has come a long way since we met. He used to be a very picky particular eater and would stand over my shoulder as I cooked asking, “What’s that? Why are you putting that into the dish? What will it taste like?” It would drive me absolutely nuts.

That was five years ago. Instead of fighting against his eating habits, I decided to embrace the challenge and slowly introduce new foods into his diet. Since then, he has made a complete 180 and is so courageous when it comes to trying different foods. I love preparing meals for him and experimenting with ingredients because he is willing to try almost anything I put on his plate.

Now, you might be asking why my mind was racing yesterday when he asked that question. Well, that’s easy. Even though his taste buds have grown up, he still craves hot dogs and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese…preferably together. We had a huge lunch so the last thing I wanted to put in my body was a hot dog…and M&C. Blech.

The next words that came out of his mouth went something like this: “I want to have a light dinner with a massive dessert and dessert wine.” Have I told you yet how much I love him? That was music to my ears.

To satisfy our “light dinner” craving I prepared bruschetta topped with fresh Mozzarella. For the massive dessert, I chose Paula Deen’s delicious fresh fruit tart and, let me just say, it was delicious. It was so delicious, in fact, that my husband and I devoured half of it in one sitting. I can’t believe I just admitted that. How embarrassing!

Simple Fresh Fruit Tart

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced

Filling

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• Fresh strawberries (sliced), kiwi (sliced) and blueberries (whole)

Glaze

• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For the crust:
1. In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour and butter and process until the mixture forms a ball.
2. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
3. For the filling and topping:
1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth.
2. Spread over the cooled crust.
3. Place a ring of strawberries along the outer edge of the filling, making sure to slightly overlap the sides of the strawberries. Next, place a ring of kiwi slices. Make a third ring of strawberry slices and then pile the blueberries in the center of the tart.
4. For the glaze:
1. Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick (about 2 minutes). Allow to cool and then, using a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart (you will not use the entire glaze).
5. Keep the tart in the refrigerator and remove about 15 minutes before serving. 

*Recipe adapted from Paula Deen