Fruit tarts with vanilla syrup

Name: Fruit tarts with vanilla syrup
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 250 g (8 oz) plain flour; 60 g (2 oz) icing sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (see Chef’s tip); 1 carrot, very thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon currants; 8 dates, pitted; 8 dried apricots; 8 prunes, pitted; 1 vanilla pod, split in half; 280 g (9 oz) sugar; 170 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes; 1 tablespoon slivered almonds; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
1 hr 10

Appears in

Winter

By Le Cordon Bleu

Published 1998

About

The autumnal colours of dried fruit turn these melt-in-the-mouth shortbread treats—known to the French as ‘sablés aux fruits secs’—into an eye-catching delight.

Ingredients

Shortbread pastry

250 g (8 oz) plain flour
60 g (2

Europe
France
Dessert
Pie
Vegetarian
Winter

Method

Preheat the oven to moderate 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). To make the pastry, sift the dry ingredients and some salt onto a work surface. Make a well in the centre, add the butter and work in with the fingertips until a dough forms that can be shaped into a ball. Flatte