Mmmmm.... Tart

What? You all don't sit around in your living room decorating tarts with fruit while drinking wine, watching bad movies, and wearing yoga clothes and an apron? Huh... I thought everybody did that.


We were at Whole Foods the other day (home of the infamous arugula) and Mr. Crafty became enamored with a tart in the bakery. Needless to say, it was very pretty, but also super pricey.

We all know about how cooking at home saves money, so I won't hit you over the head with that one. Still, I was pleased by how much luxury I managed to get out of ten bucks with this one. Look at this gorgeous thing.


It was gone in two days, so it must have tasted good, too. Read on for the recipe!

Should we call it "Decadent, Affordable Dessert"? No, titles shouldn't need commas. What would you name it?

Shortbread Crust:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 stick half melted butter
1 egg yolk

Mix the dry ingredients well before adding the butter and egg. You may want to add a little less salt - use to your taste. At any rate, after you've added the butter and yolk to the dry ingredients, mix until it takes the consistency of bread crumbs.

Pour crumbs into a nine inch pie pan, flattening the bits all along the bottom and edge. Don't smush them too hard, just enough to stick together.

Bake crust for 10-12 minutes, or until just a wee bit golden. Put aside to cool.

Please note that this crust is, by its nature, crumbly. It's a super tasty crust, but not a super showcase-y crust. If making a dessert for the terrifying in-laws or something, I might suggest a basic pie crust.

Lemon Filling:
6 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
10 tbsp. sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 stick butter

Mix first five ingredients together in a bowl over low heat. Stir constantly until mixture is thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon. Between 10 and 12 minutes, usually.

Add the stick of butter in several pieces, making sure they melt.

Pour mixture in crust and stick in the fridge for an hour so it can set. Or, if you're like me, accept that you will be eating oozy tart (it tastes just as good, right?) and take it out of the fridge after 30 min.

Fruity Topping:
After the tart has set (or you've lost all willpower) get whatever jam you've got handy. I used some marmalade I had laying about, but anything would do, really. Put little spoonfuls of jam all over the top of the tart. In addition to tasting good, this is what keeps the fruit standing upright.

Then take whatever your chosen topping is and arrange it to your liking. If using strawberries or any other firm-ish large-ish fruit, I'd suggest halving it for tidier tart slicing. Some fruits that would work well are: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, kiwi, and mango. Make sure to choose fruits that won't brown or wilt readily.

** Also, for those of you not wanting to brave a crazy Hadley kitchen experiment, Whole Foods has graciously provided the recipe for their tart here.

** Edit: The tart is now officially named "Jewelry Tart." Thanks, Jada!