Fruit Tart

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 rich tart pastry

• 3-4 cups raw, pitted fruit (cherries, plums, peaches, pears, etc.)

• 3/4 cup ground nuts -- almonds, pecans, or walnuts

• 1/2 c sugar (approximately)

• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 cup apricot or currant glaze (for glazing the cooked tart)

Directions

1. Line a 9-inch tart pan with the pastry. Chill in the freezer for at least 1 hour (or freeze ahead of time -- no need to thaw).

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and move a rack to the oven's lowest position.

3. Add the cinnamon to the ground nuts and sprinkle the nuts over the bottom of the unbaked pastry shell pressing them firmly into the bottom.

4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and the fruit, tossing gently to coat the fruit.

5. Place the fruit neatly into the unbaked shell, arranging the top slices to form a design.

6. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (to avoid juice dripping out) on the lowest rack in the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the fruit bubbles slightly in the center.

7. Remove from the oven and brush the hot tart with one of the glazes (apricot glaze for light-colored fruits like peaches; currant glaze for dark-colored fruits like cherries).

Notes on fruit variations

Plum Tart

Follow the recipe using pitted, unpeeled plums. If the plums are large, they should be quartered. Otherwise, cut them in half.

Peach Tart

Follow the recipe using pitted, peeled peaches, sliced thinly or cut into quarters or eighths.

Cherry Tart

Follow the recipe using pitted cherries, whole or sliced in half. If cherries are very sour, increase sugar up to 1 cup.