SUMMER ROYALTY FRESH FRUIT TARTS CELEBRATE THE SEASON'S BOUNTY.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Glittering, glistening and elegant. That epitomizes fresh fruit tarts. They're the pretty-as-a-picture glamour girls of summer and stand-outs in pastry shops - and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, designs and fruit flavors.

``The perfect fresh fruit tart has several components working in concert to produce complementary textures and flavors. With each forkful, you experience the buttery crumbling of crust; the chill of cool, rich, silky pastry cream; and the juicy explosion of luscious ripe fruit,'' says Dawn Yanagihara, senior editor, Cooks Illustrated magazine, who developed and tested the recipe for Fresh Fruit Tart With Pastry Cream in the recently released ``Baking Illustrated'' (America's Test Kitchen; $35).

``People like fruit tarts because they are pretty, colorful and lighter tasting than some other desserts,'' says Michel Gour, co-owner with his wife, Edie, of Pastries by Edie in Canoga Park, where fruit tarts are among the top sellers. The 20-year-old company produces 2,000 to 10,000 delicious pastries daily (20,000 during holiday times), and sells retail and wholesale to 22 hotels, 50 restaurants and 12 country clubs throughout Southern California.

Making fruit tarts is really not as complicated as it may seem, once you get the knack.

A classic pate sucree (sugar dough) goes together in a jiffy in a food processor. Edie Gour fashions her tart cookie crust with sugar, butter, flour, egg, orange juice and freshly grated orange peel.

If you're in a hurry, consider using store-bought refrigerated pie crust or puff pastry as a substitute. Or opt for a pecan-graham cracker crumb crust or a chocolate shortbread-style crust. Whatever crust you use, bake it in a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom - either round, square, rectangular or oblong.

To ease preparation tasks, bake tart shells a day in advance, cool and brush with a thin layer of melted semisweet, bittersweet or white chocolate to keep the crust from getting soggy, once filled. Edie also dips the top outside edges or rims of the individual or mini crusts in melted semisweet or white chocolate and brushes the top edges of larger crusts with chocolate to keep the glaze from making the crusts soft and mushy.

Store baked crusts at room temperature, never in the fridge.

When it comes to fillings, pastry cream is traditional, but other possibilities include a cream cheese, powdered sugar and whipped cream mixture, a mascarpone/cream cheese combo, lemon or orange curd, Bavarian cream, a pudding mix-whipped cream blend, chocolate mousse and more. Prepare fillings a day in advance and keep refrigerated.

Edie fills her tarts with either Bavarian cream - a combination of custard powder blended with milk, vanilla and a small amount of nondairy whipped topping folded into heavy whipped cream - or a cooked, cooled custard (a basic pastry cream) with some whipped cream folded in. Although the two fillings can be used interchangeably, she prefers the Bavarian cream filling with mixed fruits and the custard (the richer of the two) with fresh berries.

For best results, fill the shell (filling must be very cold), top with fruits and glaze no more than 30 minutes before serving, advises Yanagihara. ``The tart doesn't hold up well once the fruit is added.''

Toppings can be a palette of the season's freshest fruits, arranged artistically in any design desired. Use either a single fruit or even two or mixed fruits selected from those you like - raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, halved or sliced strawberries, sliced kiwi fruits. Some fruits like nectarines, plum, peaches, mangoes or papayas are not good candidates because they quickly send their juices flowing, notes Yanagihara.

Be sure the fruits are really fresh and not overly ripe, advises Edie.

Tarts need to be glazed for a nice sheen, a glossy and finished look, but if you're using a single fresh berry - raspberries, blackberries or blueberries - a glaze is not advised because you won't see the shape of the berries, says Edie. Simply sift powdered over the top of the tart.

Glaze fruit tarts topped with light-colored fruits like kiwi and golden raspberries with apple jelly, and those with mixed fruits with red currant jelly, recommends Yanagihara. Apricot jam is another option, but it requires straining if you don't want bits of apricot showing.

Jellies and jams are easiest to dab, drizzle or brush on if heated slightly in the microwave oven until melted. Add a few drops of hot water (go easy) if necessary for correct spreading consistency. ``Too thin and the glaze will run off the fruit and pool in valleys; too thick and it falls from the brush in heavy globules,'' notes Yanagihara.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

CLASSIC FRESH FRUIT TART

PASTRY CREAM:

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

Pinch salt

5 large egg yolks, chalazae (cordlike strands of egg white protein that are attached to the yolks) removed with fingers (eliminates need to strain pastry cream after cooking)

3 tablespoons cornstarch 

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

SWEET TART PASTRY:

1 large egg yolk 

1 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

FRUIT AND GLAZE:

Fruit, such as fresh whole raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or strawberries (do not wash; brush dirt from berries) or kiwi fruit slices

1/2 cup red currant OR apple jelly

To make Pastry Cream, heat half-and-half, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar and salt in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and whisk until sugar has begun to dissolve and mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in cornstarch until combined and mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When half-and-half mixture reaches full simmer, gradually whisk simmering half-and-half into yolk mixture to temper. Return mixture to saucepan, scraping bowl with rubber spatula; return to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on surface and mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.

Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. (Makes about 3 cups pastry cream).

To make Sweet Tart Pastry (while Pastry Cream is chilling), whisk together yolk, cream and vanilla in small bowl; set aside. In bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine flour, powdered sugar and salt; process briefly to combine. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; process to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 (1-second) pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough just comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Unwrap and roll out between 2 lightly floured large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to a 13-inch round. (If dough is soft and sticky, slip onto baking sheet and refrigerate until workable, 20 to 30 minutes.) Transfer dough to 9- to 9 1/2-inch round fluted tart pan with removable bottom by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling over pan. Working around circumference of pan, ease dough into pan corners by gently lifting the edge with one hand while pressing it into corners with other hand. Press dough against fluted sides of pan. (If some edges are too thin, reinforce sides by folding excess dough back on itself.) Run rolling pin over top of tart pan to remove excess dough. Set dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze 30 minutes (can be sealed in gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag and frozen up to one month).

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F. Set dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press 12-inch square of foil inside frozen tart shell and over edges and fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven, about 30 minutes, until golden brown, rotating halfway through baking time. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil and weights by gathering edges of foil and pulling up and out. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Set baking sheet with tart shell on wire rack to cool at room temperature, about 30 minutes.

To assemble tart with Fruit and Glaze, when tart shell is completely cool, spread cold Pastry Cream over bottom, using offset spatula or large spoon. (You can press plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream, and refrigerate up to 30 minutes.) Arrange fruit on top of pastry cream in design desired.

Bring jelly to a boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to smooth out lumps. When boiling and completely melted, apply by dabbing and flicking onto fruit with pastry brush; add 1 teaspoon water and return jelly to boil if it becomes too thick to drizzle. (Tart can be refrigerated, uncovered, up to 30 minutes.). To serve, remove outer metal ring of tart pan and place tart (on bottom of pan) on a serving plate. Serve immediately. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

From ``Baking Illustrated,'' by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated.

FAST FRESH FRUIT TART

Butter Crust

1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar plus additional for sprinkling over top

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

2 to 3 boxes fresh raspberries, blackberries OR blueberries

Prepare Butter Crust dough. Press dough into bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9 1/2-inch fluted metal tart pan with removable bottom. Prick well with fork. Bake in preheated 425-degree oven about 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly in cooled crust. Refrigerate until filling is set, 2 to 3 hours.

Just before serving, arrange raspberries, stem end down, over top of tart, covering completely. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Remove side from pan and cut tart into slices. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings.

BUTTER CRUST: In a food processor, combine 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cut 6 tablespoons cold butter into pieces over flour. Process with on-and-off turns, until mixture is crumbly. With machine on, add 1 tablespoon milk OR orange juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon grated orange peel (optional) through feed tube and process just until dough forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl.

FRESH FRUIT AND CHOCOLATE TART

1 1/4 cups flour

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans OR walnuts

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup sour cream

Fresh seasonal fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or seedless grapes

3 to 4 tablespoons apricot OR seedless raspberry jam

To make crust, combine flour, butter, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and pecans. Blend with a fork until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Knead until dough holds together. Press dough firmly and evenly onto bottom and up sides of a 9 1/2-inch round fluted metal tart pan with removable bottom. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.

To prepare filling, in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, heat chocolate chips in microwave oven on high power about 45 to 60 seconds, watching carefully, until completely melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in sour cream and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spread filling evenly over cooled crust. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until set.

About 30 minutes before serving, if using peaches or nectarines, cut into slices and drain on paper towels if extremely juicy. Just before serving, arrange desired fruits in attractive design on top of chocolate filling. Warm jam in microwave oven or over low heat until melted. Brush jam over fruit. Refrigerate until serving. Remove side of pan and set tart on a serving plate. Serve slices topped with whipped cream or cream fraiche on the side. Makes 8 servings.

From ``365 Great Chocolate Desserts,'' by Natalie Haughton.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Sweet tarts

Fresh fruit desserts celebrate the essence of summer

(2 -- color) Edie Gour, co-owner of Pastries by Edie in Canoga Park, offers an array of fruit tarts in various sizes - large, individual or mini - with mixed or single fruits.

(3 -- color) Prepare tarts with a variety of crusts - shortbread, graham cracker crumbs, refrigerated pie crusts or puff pastry.

(4 -- color) When using fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries, to top tarts, sprinkle with powdered sugar instead of glazing.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer