Healthy Dessert Recipes from Pinole, California
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Healthy Recipes
As
desserts go, I call this fruit tart recipe a healthy one. After all, it
will give you a few servings of your daily fruit quota, and some good
essential oils from the walnuts. When looking for light, healthy
recipes for dessert, this one works.
If you prefer not to use gelatin (an animal product), you can substitute an equal amount of agar powder (derived from seaweed), but boil it to completely dissolve it. While gelatin dissolves in heated water, the agar (softened in water) will need to be heated to boiling. Agar-thickened glaze won't melt in the heat, which can be a nice feature in the summer months.
Fruit Tart Recipes- Fresh Fruit Tart
The
beauty of certain fruits is: They won't turn brown on you! My favorites
for a tart are strawberries, kiwis, tangerines (sliced in rounds, not
sections), berries, and cherries. But make the dessert worth the
effort by using the best quality fruits.
This tart has a great crust, with extra texture from the walnuts. The glaze is an easy mix of seedless jam, frozen fruit juice concentrate, and gelatin, which sets up and holds the whole thing together. Yum! Serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
Make the crust the day before, if you like. Use a buttered, 11" tart pan for the crust; the kind with ridged edges and a removable bottom is ideal. If you have different-sized pans, adjust the recipe accordingly. In a processor or blender, fine-chop: > 7 oz. walnuts (almost 2 c.)
To chopped nuts, add: > 2 c. flour > 1/4 c. sugar
Pulse to mix the dry ingredients in. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir until mixed: > 1 egg > 3/4 tsp. almond extract
To the egg mixture, also add: > 2/3 c. room-temp. butter
To the processor (or blender), add the egg, extract, and butter, mixing until smooth. Press the mixture into the well-buttered tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 min. or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 min., until golden-brown. Let cool.
To assemble the tart, have the following fruits on hand, or use your favorites: > 5 or so kiwis > 2 tangerines, cut in rounds, then in halves > 1/2 pt. raspberries > 2 pt. strawberries
Make the glaze/filling for the fruits. The easiest way is to use a glass measuring cup. To the measuring cup, add: > 3/4 c. seedless raspberry jam > 1/4 c. frozen raspberry juice concentrate (thawed) OR water
On top of the water in the measuring cup, sprinkle on until softened: > 1 TBS. unflavored gelatin (see note to left, on substituting agar)
The gelatin will soften within a few minutes. Mix the glaze/filling, and microwave the mixture until the gelatin has dissolved and the mixture isn't grainy. I microwaved mine for 3-5 minutes on the "3" power, which worked quite well. You can also do this the old-fashioned way, warming the mixture up in a pan.
For assembling, prep your fruits. Peel and slice the tangerines into circles (wedges won't have the same effect); peel and slice the kiwis as well. Cut the tops off the strawberries; this will help them to lay flat on the tart. Raspberries and blueberries are used as-is. Spoon some of the glaze/filling over the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Next, arrange the fruits onto the shell. I like starting with kiwis and tangerines around the outer edge. I fill the rest in with as many strawberries as I can fit in, adding raspberries between spaces. You can get creative and use your own style; it's hard to mess up when using fruits that are so pretty to begin with.
After the fruits are arranged, spoon the glaze/filling over all the fruits. It will coat most of the fruit, and what ends up at the bottom will firm up. Let it sit for at least four hours. Serve with a side of whipped cream, sweetened with a touch of confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Such a treat.
This tart has a great crust, with extra texture from the walnuts. The glaze is an easy mix of seedless jam, frozen fruit juice concentrate, and gelatin, which sets up and holds the whole thing together. Yum! Serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
- 7 oz. walnuts (almost 2 c.)
- 2 c. flour
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 tsp. almond extract
- 2/3 c. room-temp. butter
- 5 or so kiwis
- 2 tangerines, cut in rounds, then in halves
- 1/2 pt. raspberries or other berries or fruits
- 2 pt. strawberries
- 3/4 c. seedless raspberry jam
- 1/4 c. frozen raspberry juice concentrate (thawed) OR water
- 1 TBS. unflavored gelatin
- Optional: Whipped cream to serve on side
Make the crust the day before, if you like. Use a buttered, 11" tart pan for the crust; the kind with ridged edges and a removable bottom is ideal. If you have different-sized pans, adjust the recipe accordingly. In a processor or blender, fine-chop: > 7 oz. walnuts (almost 2 c.)
To chopped nuts, add: > 2 c. flour > 1/4 c. sugar
Pulse to mix the dry ingredients in. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir until mixed: > 1 egg > 3/4 tsp. almond extract
To the egg mixture, also add: > 2/3 c. room-temp. butter
To the processor (or blender), add the egg, extract, and butter, mixing until smooth. Press the mixture into the well-buttered tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 min. or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 min., until golden-brown. Let cool.
To assemble the tart, have the following fruits on hand, or use your favorites: > 5 or so kiwis > 2 tangerines, cut in rounds, then in halves > 1/2 pt. raspberries > 2 pt. strawberries
Make the glaze/filling for the fruits. The easiest way is to use a glass measuring cup. To the measuring cup, add: > 3/4 c. seedless raspberry jam > 1/4 c. frozen raspberry juice concentrate (thawed) OR water
On top of the water in the measuring cup, sprinkle on until softened: > 1 TBS. unflavored gelatin (see note to left, on substituting agar)
The gelatin will soften within a few minutes. Mix the glaze/filling, and microwave the mixture until the gelatin has dissolved and the mixture isn't grainy. I microwaved mine for 3-5 minutes on the "3" power, which worked quite well. You can also do this the old-fashioned way, warming the mixture up in a pan.
For assembling, prep your fruits. Peel and slice the tangerines into circles (wedges won't have the same effect); peel and slice the kiwis as well. Cut the tops off the strawberries; this will help them to lay flat on the tart. Raspberries and blueberries are used as-is. Spoon some of the glaze/filling over the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Next, arrange the fruits onto the shell. I like starting with kiwis and tangerines around the outer edge. I fill the rest in with as many strawberries as I can fit in, adding raspberries between spaces. You can get creative and use your own style; it's hard to mess up when using fruits that are so pretty to begin with.
After the fruits are arranged, spoon the glaze/filling over all the fruits. It will coat most of the fruit, and what ends up at the bottom will firm up. Let it sit for at least four hours. Serve with a side of whipped cream, sweetened with a touch of confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Such a treat.
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Recipe copyright 2008 by Jennifer Cote
Recipe copyright 2008 by Jennifer Cote