Nut Fruit Tarts

These no-bake tarts use pre-baked pastry shells as the vessel, so all you’re really doing is whipping cream and assembling. Sliced bananas and plumped raisins get folded into half the sweetened whipped cream for the filling, then the other half goes on top as a fluffy cap, finished with maraschino cherries and chopped nuts.

The trick is whipping the cream until truly stiff. Soft peaks won’t hold up under the weight of the fruit, and your tarts will deflate into a sloppy mess within minutes. Stiff peaks give the filling structure so it holds its shape in the shells.

Pile the filling lightly into the shells rather than packing it down. You want an airy, cloud-like texture, not a dense block of cream and fruit.

Chef Tips

• Plump the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain well before folding in. Dry raisins pull moisture from the cream and turn chewy.
• Slice bananas right before assembling. They brown fast, and nobody wants a tart with sad, gray bananas on display.
• Chill the bowl and whisk before whipping cream. Cold equipment makes the cream whip faster and hold stiffer peaks.

Variations

• Use fresh strawberries or blueberries in place of bananas for a berry version.
• Swap chopped nuts for toasted coconut flakes for a tropical spin.
• Fold in a spoonful of cocoa powder to the whipped cream for a chocolate-fruit combo.