A summer tart should look like the fruit did all the work. Crisp pastry, a thin cushion of cream, fruit piled with a little discipline, and a glaze so light it reads as shine rather than jelly. Get those four things right and you have the most useful pudding of the season — one that travels to a barbecue, sits happily on a garden table, and looks far more effortful than it is.

Begin With Pastry That Stays Crisp

A sweet shortcrust — pâte sucrée — is the right choice for fruit tarts because it holds its shape and stays firm under juicy fillings. For a 23cm tart tin, rub 140g cold unsalted butter into 250g plain flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in 90g icing sugar and a pinch of salt. Add one egg yolk and one to two tablespoons of ice-cold water, bring it together with a knife, and stop as soon as it forms a ball. Overworking is what makes pastry tough.

Flatten into a disc, wrap, and rest it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Roll to about 3mm, line the tin, prick the base, and rest again for 20 minutes. Chill it properly and it will not shrink.

• Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans, then blind bake at 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6) for 20 minutes.
• Remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 8–10 minutes, until the base is dry and pale gold.
• Brush the hot pastry with beaten egg white and return it to the oven for two minutes to set. This thin seal is the single best defence against a soggy bottom.

If you want extra insurance, spread a tablespoon of ground almonds or a thin layer of melted white chocolate over the cooled base before anything wet goes near it.

Choose Fruit That Holds Its Shape

Soft berries are lovely but they collapse and weep. Mix them with firmer fruit for structure and colour.

• Strawberries: hull and halve lengthways so they sit flat, cut side down.
• Raspberries and blackberries: leave whole and handle with fingertips, not palms.
• Apricots: halve, remove the stones, and roast cut side up with a light scattering of caster sugar at 180°C fan for 12–15 minutes. Cool completely before use.
• Peaches and nectarines: slice 1cm thick, toss with a squeeze of lemon, and pat dry.
• Cherries and gooseberries: stone the cherries; top and tail the gooseberries and poach them briefly in light syrup if they are very sharp.

Whatever you use, drain it well. If you macerate berries in sugar, do it in a sieve over a bowl and keep the syrup for drinks. Wet fruit will undo good pastry within an hour.

A Glaze That Shines, Not Smothers

Traditional apricot glaze is still the best tool here, and it takes three minutes. Warm three tablespoons of apricot jam with one tablespoon of water, then push it through a sieve to remove the lumps. Brush it on with a soft pastry brush while it is warm but not hot, working from the centre outwards and letting the fruit's own contours show.

For red fruit, redcurrant jelly gives a clearer, sharper finish. For a lighter, more modern effect, warm two tablespoons of apple jelly with a teaspoon of lemon juice instead. Whatever you choose, the glaze should be a film, not a coating — if it looks thick enough to peel, thin it with a little more water.

Glaze a chilled tart and return it to the fridge for ten minutes to set. Add the glaze on the day you serve; it keeps the fruit glossy without softening the pastry beneath.

Build It in Layers

Fruit tarts need a barrier between pastry and produce. Whipped crème fraîche with a spoonful of icing sugar and a little vanilla is lighter than crème pâtissière and takes two minutes. Mascarpone beaten with lemon zest and a tablespoon of double cream is richer and holds a neat edge when sliced.

Spread a layer no thicker than 5mm, leaving a 1cm border. Arrange the fruit tightly but without pressing it down; overlapping slices of peach or apricot look generous, while berries look best piled slightly towards the centre. Chill for 30 minutes, then glaze.

Timing, Transport and Serving

Bake and freeze the empty pastry cases up to a month ahead — they defrost in 20 minutes on the counter and crisp up again in a low oven for five. Assemble on the morning of the event and keep the tart in the fridge until you leave.

To transport, sit it in a sturdy box or on a flat tray lined with non-slip matting, and avoid a car boot on a warm day. At the table, cut with a hot, wet knife, wiping between slices for clean edges. One 23cm tart serves eight to ten generous portions.

Serve with a bowl of crème fraîche or pouring cream on the side, and let the fruit speak. A well-made summer tart needs nothing else — just a sharp knife and a bit of shade.