Sugarless Fruit Tart

As promised, here is my first attempt at a fruit tart.  I really loved being decorative with the fruit, and I will definately make more of these.  This is not a classic tart, because I did not use pastry cream or even a real tart  crust. Because I sometimes bake for family members who do not eat sugar,  I devised my own version of a tart  by using a pie crust purchased from the grocery store  (the kind you can unroll and bake immediately or keep in the freezer to thaw and use later),  which I simply "blind-baked" flat onto the baking sheet lined with a Silpat to keep it from sticking.

Instead of  pastry cream I used a sugarless and fat free "instant Jello"  vanilla pudding mix.  (I know, it has artificial sweeteners which I  prefer to avoid, but sometimes use  for diabetic family members who are willing to eat it). 

Then I used the fresh fruit,  with no other dressing or glaze.   This pretty dessert was  much appreciated by my family, and I would like to experiment further with devising a pastry cream that can be sweetened with Stevia,  a healthy alternative to artificial sweeteners, or some other way. Because  dried fruits or condensed fruit is highly caloric, I cannot safely use it for diabetics.  Nevertheless this fruit tart will make a festive and tasty treat in the meantime.  Instead of  a pie dough base, perhaps I will try a biscuit dough, very minimally sweetened  as in a shortcake style. 

I still  aim to bake a traditional fuit tart, with real pastry cream, in the near future.  Fruit desserts are gorgeous, a feast for the eyes and deceptively simple to make. 

Comments

[Joe @ Culinary in the Desert]

Wow! Great tart! I love how easy this would be to whip up in a hurry if needed. The pudding is a great sub if you didnt have time or in this case someone who couldnt have it. Looks fantastic - good job with the fruit on top!

[Andrea]

Thanks Joe! It's true this dessert came together pretty fast, considering that I did not even make my own pastry! Often the simple way is best.

[tanvi]

I am interested in using Stevia in desserts as well, but a bit cautious as I never know how much to use since its not a direct conversion. The tart looks great, and the pudding is a nice trick!