Yield: 4-4-inch tartlets or 1-8 or 9-inch tart

These tartlets are the result of co-influences: beautiful photographs on Pinterest and finding the remains of frozen mixed fruit in the bottom of bags in our freezer. I had purchased them to make smoothies, but I prefer my ritual of popping into Starbucks on my way to school and buying an unsweetened green tea soy frappuccino. The fruit was still good, but needed to be used quickly, so an idea formed.

My mother and my grandmother were excellent bakers and I am not opposed to rolling out a pie crust. But I am also not opposed to shortcuts when they are just as good and when I am remarkably busy teaching from home during this pandemic. So, I turned to my never fail press-in pie crust. The original recipe contained quite a bit of oil and a little bit of non-dairy milk. I have basically reversed those proportions with no ill effect on the end result.

For the filling, I wanted a gel-like consistency, but I had no agar. I had a hunch that if I thawed the fruit, pureed it, cooked it down just a bit, and thickened it further with a cornstarch slurry, I would have the jewel-like color and firm-ish texture that I desired. And I was right!

For the topping, I planned to make aquafaba meringue. But I didn’t have chickpeas and trips to the grocery store are more infrequent these days. The same went for a coconut cream whip. What I did have was about half a can of a surprisingly tasty prepared vanilla buttercream frosting. Normally I would never put frosting on a pie-type dessert–that’s just odd!–but I needed something that would work for the photo shoot at the very least and food stylists are known for their trickery.

It turns out that these tartlets are appealingly “tart” and that the sweet creamy frosting offsets the flavors beautifully with exactly the right consistency. Who knew?

Again, I was inspired by Pinterest for the asymmetrical piping design. I had never thought of not covering the top completely, but it is visually exciting, and it certainly saves on both product and, more importantly, calories, adding just the right amount of color, flavor, and texture contrast.

These beauties were a hit with me and the friends with whom I shared them, handing them off from a safe social distance. I hope you find the same to be true and that you are safe and well.

Mixed Fruit Tartlets with No-Fail Press-In Crust

Crust:

1 and 1/2 cups flour (all purpose, whole wheat, or white whole wheat)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Approximately five tablespoons non-dairy milk (I use soymilk)

Preheat oven to 350°. Place tartlet or tart pans on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Make a well in center and add wet ingredients. Stir together with a fork, using your fingers if needed to create a crumbly but very moist dough that holds together beautifully when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. Add more non-dairy milk or flour, as needed. Crumble dough into bottom of pans or pan and press evenly onto bottom and sides. You might find it helpful for pressing to use the bottom of a sturdy glass sprayed with non-stick spray or floured to prevent sticking. Prick bottom with tines of a fork and bake 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, make filling.

Pureed Fruit Filling:

Approximately 4 cups frozen fruit, thawed (I used blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, and pineapple)

2 to 4 tablespoons sugar or your favorite sweetener (I used granulated monkfruit with zero calories)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegan fruit liqueur (I used peach and the De Kuyper brand is vegan, probably among others; Google on Barnivore)

Topping: vanilla buttercream, whipped coconut cream, etc.

Place fruit and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until heated through and some of the juice releases and evaporates. Carefully transfer into bowl of food processor and puree until very smooth. Return to saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and liqueur. Drizzle into simmering fruit, whisking thoroughly. Allow to simmer for two or three more minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Divide evenly among tartlet crusts or pour into large tart crust. Decorate the top with frosting or your favorite vegan whipped topping. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until serving time. Tarts will remain good in refrigerator for several days, but the crust does begin to get soggy after a couple.

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