Fresh Fruit Tart with Vegan Lemon Vanilla Custard
I love a fresh fruit tart and this vegan vanilla-lemon custard is the perfect complement to whatever fruit is fresh this season. This dessert captures the best principles of a dessert on the Mediterranean Diet and is delicious. The crust of the tart is flavorful with hints of maple and cinnamon. The hint of cinnamon and salt in the crust brings out the sweetness of the apricot-glazed fruit adorning the tart. The custard is creamy vanilla with just a hint of lemon.
Desserts are at the top of the Mediterranean Diet Food pyramid. Foods at the top of the pyramid are meant to be enjoyed but less frequently. The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life and desserts are part of life. Since adopting the Mediterranean Diet my body LIKES the principles of the diet and Olive Sunshine Desserts support the Mediterranean Diet way of eating and living. Fresh Fruit Tart with Vegan Lemon Vanilla Custard is full of good-for-you grains, nuts, fruits and of course extra virgin olive oil. It is Mediterranean Diet living at its finest!
The best part, it is easy to make. Most of the ingredients are items I regularly find in my pantry. It is on my list of future blogs to share my Sweetheart’s pantry list. Keep an eye on Olive Sunshine’s Blog for the pantry list and other Mediterranean Diet tips. But for now, I will just share these items so you can get making your own tart! The ingredients are only missing the fruit you choose to add.
Ingredients for the Tart with Vegan Lemon Vanilla Custard
Tart Crust Ingredients
- Oatmeal, quick cooking
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup
- Extra virgin olive oil (buttery not grassy)
Vanilla Lemon Custard Ingredients
- Cashews, raw (soaked)
- Medjool dates
- Oat milk
- Corn starch
- Vanilla
- Lemon
Apricot Glazed Fruit Topping Ingredients
- Apricot jam (low sugar preferred)
- Water
- Fresh fruit
Fresh Fruit Tart as Easy as 1, 2, 3!
Which Fresh Fruit Should I Use on a Tart?
Use whatever fruit is fresh and available to you. Living in Florida we are blessed to enjoy fruits year-round. This vegan fresh fruit tart is amazing with sweet berries. What is better than lemon and raspberries? It is also yummy with a variety of citrus slices and kiwi. I love the hues of citrus, yellows, oranges and pinks with the green kiwi. It is so pretty. Olive Sunshine’s winter tart is beautiful with fresh Florida strawberries, blueberries (fresh from the freezer), starfruit, kiwi, and Cara-Cara oranges. Cara Cara oranges are perfect for a tart. Gorgeous, a dark pink in color, it is sweeter than a naval orange and seedless making them perfect for this dessert.
Fresh Fruit Tart with Vegan Lemon Vanilla Custard comes together easily. My favorite way to enjoy the tart is in the afternoon with a cup of tea and my favorite girlfriends. The tart can be kept covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Ingredients
Tart Crust
Lemony Vanilla Custard
Fruit Topping
Instructions
Soak the cashews in boiling hot water for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a 9-inch tart pan. Set it aside.
Prepare the Tart Crust Mix the dry ingredients, oatmeal, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and add the oil and syrup and blend together. The ingredients should be completely moistened but a little crumbly. Add a couple of drops of oil if needed. Press evenly into the oiled tart pan. Bake the tart for 12-13 minutes or until golden.
Prepare the Lemony Vanilla Custard – Drain the cashews. Pit and chop the dates. Add the plant-based milk, cashews, dates, vanilla and zest and juice to a high speed blender. Blend until well combined and liquid.
Place the cashew date mixture into a medium saucepan. Heat the burner to medium. Add the corn starch and while stirring regularly bring the cashew mixture to a slow boil. Allow some of the liquid to evaporate while controlling the boil by stirring. Remove from heat. Once cool put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. After cooled add the custard to the tart and place the tart into the freezer until ready to dress with the fruit. Freeze for approximately 15 minutes.
Prepare the Fruit Topping – While the custard is cooling, prepare the fruit. Peel, pit, slice or cut the fruit into bite sized pieces. Spoon the apricot jam and water into a small saucepan and heat until the water is absorbed, and the jam is thinned to a glaze-consistency. Dress the custard-filled tart with the fruit. Using a pastry brush, brush the apricot glaze over all of the exposed fruit. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator.
