Simple Fruit Tart: no blind baking

Sue Maree P -

A good friend in Australia shared her favourite simple fruit tart recipe. This fruit tart is super quick and easy to make, no blind baking needed and the tart will be ready to eat in 60 mins. The original fruit tart recipe uses tinned pears, but you can use whatever fruit you have on hand. I love that there's no fussing with making a custard as the filling is made with cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla.

Takes = 15 minutes to prepare
Bakes = 25 minutes to bake
Makes = 8 slices

Nut Crust

  • Unsalted butter softened – 90g (about 6 tbsp)
  • Castor Sugar – 100g (1/2 cup)
  • Ground cinnamon – 3/4 tsp
  • Spelt flour (or flour of choice) – 100g (3/4 cup)
  • Finely chopped walnuts – 50g (1/3 cup)

Cream Cheese Filling

  • Cream Cheese softened (Philadelphia Brand is the best) – 225g (about 1 cup)
  • Caster Sugar – 50g (1/4 cup)
  • Egg beaten – 1 large
  • Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
  • Tinned Pears drained and thinly sliced (or fruit of choice) – 400g tin
  • Cinnamon – 1/4 tsp
  • Sugar – 1 tsp

Method

  1. Preheat oven 215˚C fan
  2. Grease a 23cm (9 inch) fluted tart tin, rectangular or round.
  3. CRUST – beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon
  4. ADD flour and chopped walnuts the mix will look slightly crumbly.
  5. PRESS this mix into your tart tin.
  6. REST in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  7. FILLING – blend beaten egg, sugar, softened cream cheese and vanilla and combine until totally smooth.
  8. DRAIN pears then slice long ways about 4-5 slices per pear half.
  9. POUR the filling into the crust then arrange the pears in a pattern on the top starting on the outside edge and working towards the centre to form a flower pattern. The curve of the pear will face outwards like a smile shape. See the photo and watch the video for the details.
  10. BAKE at high temperature 215˚C for 10 minutes to ensure the crust is crisp and golden, then lower the oven temperature to 175˚C and bake for another 15 minutes.
  11. REST for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Sue Maree P Baking Tips

  • Walnuts – could be swapped out for any other nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts or almonds
  • Cream cheese – I have made this both with unbranded cream cheese and Philadelphia cream cheese. The unbranded cream cheese is not as thick so I would recommend using a little more about 50g. Philadelphia cream cheese is gorgeous and thick so 250g is perfect.
  • Butter – I have not made this without regular butter