No-Bake Fruit Tarts
Makes: Enough for 8 individual 3-inch tarts
Time: 20 minutes
Unlike flour-based crusts, this one—a combination of nuts and dried fruit making for a sweet, chewy consistency that’s a perfect base for fresh fruit—can’t be overworked, and you never need to turn on the oven. I sometimes add a thin layer of melted dark chocolate in between the crust and the fruit, both to help anchor the fruit and as a little decadent surprise; but you can skip it.
For the topping, berries are a natural choice, but try sliced apricots, plums, peaches, figs, or even kiwi. Dried cherries in the base with fresh cherries on top is lovely; the same goes for apricots or figs.
About 4 cups fresh fruit, trimmed, cored, peeled, and sliced as needed
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup brandy, dessert wine, or champagne (optional)
1 cup almonds; or use pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts
¾ cup pitted and packed dried fruit, like dates, raisins, dried cherries, figs, or apricots
4 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, melted (optional)
1 Put the fruit in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar, and the liquor if you’re using it. Toss gently to coat, and refrigerate while you prepare the crust.
2 Put the nuts in a food processor and pulse until ground, being careful not to overprocess. Transfer to a bowl, then put the dried fruit in the food processor along with a teaspoon or so of water. Pulse until finely chopped and sticky enough to adhere to the nuts (some fruit will require more water than others). Use your hands or a rubber spatula to combine the nuts and fruit in the bowl until they become a “dough.” (At this point, you can form the mixture into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate or freeze until about 30 minutes before you’re ready to use it; defrost if necessary and proceed with the recipe.)
3 Divide the dough into 8 pieces and press into 3-inch round disks on a piece of wax paper or parchment; they should be about ¼ inch thick. Brush each disk with the melted chocolate in a thin, even layer if you like, and top with fresh fruit and any accumulated juices. Serve immediately.