Summer Fruit Tartlets - Vegan

Though the Monsoon is in full swing, the Summer fruits are still pouring in from the North. A friend - S and I had been to Grant Road a couple of days back as she had to shop there and just outside, on the West of Grant Road Station I saw a thriving fruit market. The cherries were too steeply priced at Rs.150/- a kilo but I could not resist buying a quarter as my mind was already visioning tarts! Not all were red yet they were very sweet and tasty.

I was so single minded about this that I did not let anyone eat more than a cherry each. Cruel of me? I think the cherry tartlets more than compensated for my hard-heartedness:). I made twice the required amount of pastry dough on Sunday morning as I always like to have some dough resting in the freezer in case the mood strikes again and usually the striking distance is never too far off!

With the first quantity of tart dough I made only cherry tartlets. Like I said the second strike took place way too soon on Monday morning when the kids decided they loved the tartlets so much they could do with a second helping during shortbreak;-). Never one to stall a good idea, I was up a little earlier than usual and made tartlets that had all the Summer fruits in the fruit basket - mangoes, pear, bananas and cherries. Their smiles and the pictures that came through made my day:).

Hope they brighten your day as much as mine!

I am always surprised that most people in India bake cakes often but don't seem to venture into making tarts though the latter are definitely easier, quick and so simple in terms of ingredients! Did you note that what serves as the pastry dough is nothing but our own 'Shankarpali' or 'Shakkapara'? A little stiffer with no milk and very cold water but the method is essentially the same. Do try these for a change. I promise they won't disappoint you!

Dish: Vegan Summer Fruit Tartlets (with cherries, mangoes, bananas and pears)
Yield from crust: About 18 1.5" tartlets and two 7"tarts

The Crust - Common for both the tartlets:
Ingredients:
Flour = APF - 1 cup + Whole wheat pastry flour - 3/4 cup + Fine rice flour - 1tbsp.
Very cold water - 1-2tbsp.
Cold organic soy milk (I used Silk) - 3-4tbsp.
Vegan butter (I used Meadows Lea) - 3tbsp.
Coconut Oil (I used Parachute) - 2 tbsp.
Powdered sugar - About 7tsps.
(The above are approximate measurements - for a healthier crust recipe look up my chocolate tart base)

Method:
Sieve the flours together with sugar to form a homogeneous mixture.

Add the butter and mix together to a crumbly texture. Add the oil and do the same.

Now add 3 tbsps. of cold soy milk and a tbsp. of cold water and keep gathering and pressing the flour to form a soft but stiff (I am not sure how to put that!) dough. Add the remaining milk and water only if needed.

Wrap in a cling film and refrigerate for about 10minutes while preparing the filling.

The FIRST filling:
For the cherry tarts - I made 6 ringed tartlets and one 7" tart
200gms firm ripe cherries, rinsed and pitted
Cornstarch - 1-2 tsps.
Juice from 1/2 a lime.
Caster sugar - 1 tsp. (As per taste)

Equipment:
Tart tin or tartlet rings (mine measure about about 1.5inches in diameter)
Method:
Halve the cherries and mix with the rest of the ingredients and keep aside.

Baking:
Remove the dough and let it thaw a little if too stiff. Stiff dough will crumble into pieces while rolling.

Pinch half the dough and roll out into a thin circle between two sheets of thick plastic (I still cannot roll out without these!).

Stamp out rounds with the rings to line the bottom and cut out strips as high as your ring from the rest of the circle. Line the rings on the sides too.

Mark with a fork on the base and blind bake the tartlets in a preheated oven at 150 deg. Cel. for 10 minutes till the base and sides are done.

Remove the weight or beans and fill with the prepared cherry filling and bake further till the cherry gets stewed - about 5minutes. The 7" tart takes more time to bake. Please check.

Cool and serve just plain or topped with cream. We had it plain - it brings out the taste of the fruits this way.

II. Summer Fruit Filling: (I made 12 tartlets and one 7" tart)
The next day I used all the fruits as there were only 2 or 3 cherries left.
1 mango (kesar) - peeled
1 small elaichi banana
1 ripe pear
2-3 cherries

Dark chocolate sauce made with 2 cubes of dark chocolate melted with a tsp. of oil and a few drops of hot water.


Method for the filling:

Cut of the cheeks of the mango. Slice them thin or stamp out thin cylinders and slice into thin circles like I did.

Chop the pear into very small pieces.

Elaichi bananas are very thin and sweet. I cut them into thin circles.

Cherries - Pit and chop

Chat masala - just a pinch (Substitute 1/2 a lime instead if not available)
Caster sugar - 1/2 tsp.

Brush the baked tartlets/tart with a thin layer of chocolate sauce. Top with the mixed fruits randomly or arrange them neatly. Top with a little chocolate sauce and bake for 5-7 minutes for tartlets and 15minutes for the tart.

The tartlets were just an inch or so each and gone in one bite of crisp biscuit and oozy fruit and chocolate. Would you call this a dessert? I thought they were appetizers!

For those who would like to use puff pastry sheets check out the recipes here. I haven't tried them but they have to be good.

Previously featured tarts:
Mango frangipane tart:



Chocolate tart: