Tart

A tart is a baked dish with a pastry base that is open on top, so it isn’t covered with more pastry. The base is usually made from shortcrust pastry, which is a type of tender, flaky dough that holds fillings well. Tarts can be sweet or savory, but most people think of them as sweet, often filled with fruits like apples, strawberries, or peaches. Sometimes, the filling includes custard, a creamy mixture that adds flavor and texture.

Tartlet is the name for a small, bite-sized version of a tart. One popular example is the egg tarts, which people enjoy in many places around the world. Because tarts, flans, and pies look similar and are used in similar ways, it can be hard to know what makes each one different. While each has its own special traits, they often share features, so it’s easy to see how they are related. Whether you like fruity, creamy, or savory flavors, there is a tart for everyone to enjoy.

History

The French word tarte can mean pie or tart. Pies usually cover their filling with pastry, but tarts leave it open. Tarts may taste sour, but this does not come from their name.

Tarts started in medieval times as a kind of pie. At first, they used meat, but later they used sweet fruits and custard. One early example is the Italian crostata, a simple open fruit tart from the 1400s.

Description

Lemon meringue tarts

Tarts are a type of baked dish that you can enjoy on their own. They have a firm pastry base made from flour and are filled with a thick layer of sweet or savory ingredients. Unlike pies, which often have softer pastry and sloped sides, tarts have straight sides and are usually served right in the tart dish. Modern tarts are often filled with fruit, sometimes with custard, and can also come in smaller sizes called tartlets.

Varieties

There are many types of tarts. Popular kinds include Treacle tart, meringue tart, tarte tatin, and Bakewell tart. A jam tart uses jam instead of fresh fruit.

Savoury tarts include quiche, which has a custard-like filling. There are also onion tarts like German Zwiebelkuchen and Alsace Tarte à l'oignon. Cheese tarts can be made from Gruyère.