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Fast Fruit Tarts

4.2

(13)

Editor's note: This recipe is from Erika Lenkert's book, The Last-Minute Party Girl: Fashionable, Fearless, and Foolishly Simple Entertaining For Lenkert's tips on throwing a last-minute New Year's Eve party, click here.

A dessert secret that you should always keep in your back pocket, this recipe can be your last-minute savior provided you've got pastry dough in the freezer and a piece of fruit or two on hand. It takes no time or talent and is glamorous enough for the most special occasions.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    30 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2/3 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 teaspoon for greasing the pan
1 10-x-14-inch sheet ready-made pastry dough, defrosted
3 cups blueberries or peeled and very thinly sliced pear or apple wedges
3/4 cup sugar
6 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional)
1 cup caramel sauce (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 375°F.

    Step 2

    Melt the 2/3 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat. Set it aside.

    Step 3

    Grease a baking sheet with the remaining 1 teaspoon butter.

    Step 4

    On a floured surface, unroll the dough, cut it into six equal squares, and transfer the squares to the baking sheet.

    Step 5

    Cover each square with 1/2 cup of the berries or with enough pear or apple slices, attractively overlapping, to blanket all but the pastry edges.

    Step 6

    Using a basting brush or a spoon, paint the fruit with melted butter, and then sprinkle each square with 2 tablespoons of the sugar.

    Step 7

    Pop them into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the fruit is tender.

    Step 8

    Serve with ice cream and a decorative drizzle of caramel sauce, and your guests will think you graduated from the Culinary Academy.

Reprinted with permission from The Last-Minute Party Girl: Fashionable, Fearless, and Foolishly Simple Entertaining by Erika Lenkert. © May 2003 McGraw-Hill
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