I have to admit, I looked up the difference between a pie and a tart. For some reason, the word tart always reminds me of Bernadette Peter's character in Blazing Saddles and I knew what made her different from a pie. It turns out, the difference has to do with the pan and where the crust is located. My dessert creation was a hybrid because I used a tart pan but the crust goes up the sides (like a pie). Regardless of its hybrid nature, it was a delicious dessert— not too sweet with a buttery crumb topping. I used a Pillsbury pie crust and it worked out brilliantly. Some day I'll tackle pastry dough, maybe sometime in 2015.
Apple, Strawberry & Sour Cherry Tart
4 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup sour cherries, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Pillsbury pie crust
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the pie dough and place in a buttered tart pan. Place the apples, strawberries and sour cherries in a medium bowl and toss with 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Evenly scatter the apples, strawberries and cherries in the tart pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 cup of butter. Mix thoroughly and place on top of the fruit in the tart pan. Place the tart pan on a sheet tray and bake for 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
