2611—English Tarts

These tarts are made in deep pie or pastry-dishes. Whatever be the fruit used, clean it, peel it, or core it, according to its nature. Some fruits are sliced while others are merely quartered or left whole.

Set them in the dish, to within half inch of its brim; sprinkle them with moist or powdered sugar, and (in the case of fruit with firm pulps like apples) with a few tablespoonfuls of water.

This addition of water is optional and, in any case, may be dispensed with for aqueous fruits. First cover the edges of the dish, which should be moistened slightly, with a strip of short paste, an inch wide. Then cover the dish with a layer of puff-paste, which seal down well to the strip of paste, already in position and slightly moistened for the purpose. With a brush moisten the layer of paste constituting the cover of the tart; sprinkle it with sugar, and set the tart to bake in a moderate oven.

All English tarts are made in this way, and all fruits may be used with them even when, as in the case of gooseberries, they are green.

Accompany these tarts by a sauceboat of raw-cream or by a custard pudding (No. 2406, English Sauce).