Delicious Pie Experiments

I've recently been exploring the world of free-form tarts, and I've discovered to my absolute delight that they are both delicious and easy to make.

The crust is simple: not quite as crumbly as pie crust, and you can roll it out to any size and fold it however you like. The filling is even easier: just a pile of fruit, lightly tossed in sugar, with whatever spice feels right at the moment.

The one pictured here was filled with nectarines tossed in a little sugar and lined with blackberry jam, and oh dear god was it good.

The basic recipe for the crust is as follows (makes enough for 2 medium size tarts):

2.5c flour
3 Tbsp sugar 1.5 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3c ice water

Mix dry ingredients together, then add chilled butter in tiny chunks. Work butter in to flour with your fingers or a pastry blade until there are small flat pieces sitting intact within the flour. Gradually add ice water until the dough is just moist enough to stick together, then wrap in plastic and let chill for an hour.

And the rest is intuitive! Cut the dough in half, roll into a rough circle, fill the middle with whatever fruit you've decided to use (adding a little sugar if needed) and maybe a little bit of flour or some chopped nuts to absorb the juices as they come out, then fold the edges over the top and bake at 400 degrees for about 1/2 hour.

Enjoy the deliciousness.