Woven Dried-Fruit Tart

Today’s
recipe is yet again another recipe by Martha Stewart. Her recipe is
for a “Woven Dried-Fruit Tart”. Simply replace her ingredients
with organic ingredients. Good luck all!

Woven Dried-Fruit Tart

Ingredients:

Serves 8 to 10

All-purpose flour, for surface

Pate Brisee

4 cups water

3/4 cup Cognac

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod
reserved

1 cinnamon stick

3 strips (1 inch each) orange zest

5 whole cloves

11 ounces dried apricots, preferably
California (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup pitted prunes

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Creme fraiche, for serving

Directions:

On a lightly floured surface, roll each
disk of pate brisee into a 14-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Place 1
circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until firm,
about 30 minutes. Fit the other circle into an 11-inch fluted round
tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim dough flush with top edge of
pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the lattice (pictured, below):
Remove baking sheet from freezer. Using a clean ruler as a guide, cut
dough circle into sixteen 1/2-inch-wide strips with a sharp knife or
a fluted pastry wheel. Lay 6 strips of dough on another baking sheet
in parallel lines that extend slightly past the width of the tart
pan. Lay 6 more strips on top, almost perpendicular to the first
strips. Starting in the center, weave 1 new strip diagonally through
the existing grid, under the bottom layer of strips and over the top
layer. Push diagonal strip into corner of each square (where the
perpendicular and parallel strips meet) to create a tight fit. Weave
a second strip 1 inch away, this time weaving over then under. Repeat
weaving strips across 1/2 the tart. (If dough strips become too soft,
return to freezer until firm.) Return to center, and repeat with
remaining dough strips to form a star lattice pattern. Freeze until
ready to use.

Bring water, Cognac, sugar, vanilla
seeds and pod, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and cloves to a boil in a
medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add dried fruits,
reduce heat, and simmer gently until fruits soften but have not
broken down, about 20 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a
measuring cup, and reserve fruit and liquid separately. Let both
cool. Discard vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and cloves.
(If you have more than 2 cups liquid, simmer in a small saucepan over
medium-high heat until reduced; it’s fine if you have slightly less
than 2 cups.)

Spread cooled fruit mixture evenly on
dough in tart pan, and brush with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking
liquid. Combine yolk and cream in a small bowl, and brush some along
top edges of tart. Carefully slide frozen lattice on top of tart,
centering it on filling, and press edges to seal. Trim excess dough.
Brush top of lattice with egg wash. Refrigerate, uncovered, until
firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake tart
for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and continue baking until
crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes. (If
crust browns too quickly, tent edges with foil.) Brush crust and
fruit with another 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid. Let cool in pan
on a wire rack. Unmold, and serve immediately with creme fraiche on
the side.

jennl | My Bio & Articles

Jennifer is a freelance writer, and has written for various health and environmental blogs, which includes running her own green living blog. Currently she is studying to become a C++ Programmer.