Firecrackers, fun and festive gatherings are all a part of a bang-up Fourth of July celebration. At my house, my traditional Fresh Flag Tart makes a colorful and delicious appearance and I am sharing with you this easy and foolproof recipe to indulge the sweet part of this raucous holiday. The tart starts with a buttery cookie crust, then gets filled with a smooth custard base that’s perfect for decorating. We top it with red and blue berries to create our own version of the American flag. We use blueberries or blackberries for the stars, and rows of strawberries or raspberries for the stripes. Every year the flag is composed in a little bit different pattern, depending on the whimsy of my little faithful “pastry chefs.”
This Fourth of July fruit tart is simple, festive, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Fresh Fruit Flag Tart Recipe
Cookie Base
1 package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
Tart Filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange rind
1 teaspoon lemon rindGlaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon rindFresh Fruit
Choose assorted red and blue fruits
Baking Instructions
• Press cookie dough thinly and evenly into a 1/4 sheet pan (8″ x 12″). Bake according to package directions. After about 10 minutes, when the dough puffs up, remove and gently press it down. Return to oven and bake until golden brown. Cool completely.
• Combine cream cheese, sugar, fruit rinds and vanilla in a bowl and cream gently. Spread on cooled cookie crust. Refrigerate to set while you make the glaze.
• Combine all the glaze ingredients, except for the rinds, in a saucepan and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and add both rinds. Cool. Can be made ahead. Will keep for at least a week in the fridge.
• Remove filled tart from the fridge and arrange the selected fruit in a pattern of blue stars and red fruit stripes. Design as you like to create your own American Flag.
• Brush fruit gently with glaze for a glistening finish.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Note: To make an 18″x13″ tart or 1/2 sheet pan, make two recipes of the cream cheese filling and you might need additional sugar cookie roll of dough – depends on how thinly you press the dough. THe larger sheet pan gives you a more “flag look” and more fun to create a flag design.
I love decorating tarts as much as I love helping you decorate your windows.
Have a safe and scrumptious 4th!