Thursday, January 26, 2012

Tarte Fine

 Tarte Fine au Pomme, 9" x 11"

 To find a tarte fine aux pomme in Paris look for glass paintings near the doorway of cows, chefs, wheat sowers etc.

 Your everyday, no-name, corner, neighborhood patisserie like this one (on rue martyr 75009) will have les tartes fines.

 Basically a tarte fine is a flattened round crust (usually pate sucre or feuilletee) layered with multiply thin slices of fruit in a spiral pattern. It can be savory as well with tomate/aubergine/basilica etc.
 The top is liberally painted with a brush full of abricotage (apricot jam glaze).
 The tarte fine comes in 'individual' sizes or family size. Not so pretty an example here but it tasted divine I assure you...chomp chomp
 Usually your tarte will be wrapped in pretty fruit- decorated paper that acts as dual napkin/holder...
 You will not find many tarte fine in high-end 'couture' patisseries like Fauchon, Herme, Lenotre, though their pastry chefs learned their tarte skills at their grand-mere's knee bien sur. Is it a snob thing?
 If you see chef figurines inside a Paris pastry shop, you'll see tarte fine too...
 Hand-written ardoise/blackboards announce the fruit flavors of-the-day...
 A tarte fine aux fruits makes a great 4 o'clock snack in my opinion - the next best thing to eating an apple...
Sometimes it comes in an adorable illustrated pastry bag worth collecting if you're into Paris trash...
What's not to love about la tarte fine?

15 comments:

  1. so delish and so close to lunchtime..
    wish I could run to the corner and grab a tarte fine au pomme..
    miam miam

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  2. A tart a day keeps the doctor away?

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  3. Yummy! I wonder what would be the flavor for today!

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  4. Tarte fine aux pomme, I am smitten!
    It is almost 8PM here and I am seriously thinking of baking. Such temptations, Carol! ;-)

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  5. Great photos, I love that little pastry shop!
    I love the glass paintings, too.
    Of course the pastries look delicious, too!

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  6. Carol:) i just made pies..not fines..and wrote on ardoise:) This post made me smile at how sometimes bloggers can think the same thing:)
    those tartes fines are superb..but I must admit the papers stole my heart..So pretty!
    In Provence I should have looked..Bread was prettily wrapped..but with words..not anything like these.
    I would be tempted to fold and take home:)
    Your watercolor is beautiful.

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  7. The painting, the cute little shop, the food, Its all yummy. Soon you will be there ejoying it all in person. Are you working off some calories now so you can indulge while there? :))

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  8. NO Cris I'm not!
    I just ate a dixie cup + pretzels :(
    Oh ruination
    SOS

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  9. Lucinda4:39 PM

    Those boulangerie glass paintings always look fresh to me...someone out there is still doing this.
    Incredible!
    As are these fruit tartes..I never bothered.
    Quelle error

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  10. Oh this is just the sort of pastry I love!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  11. I have some lovely Bosc pears that may just become tarte fines very soon! Meanwhile feasting on your yummy pics of these! Love the window gass paintings too!

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  12. I must know: Have you been able to salvage the fab paper wrappings from the tart? Or is it too gooey? Actually, you could lick it clean.... :-)

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  13. is a great blog, I love Paris so much .... I will follow you from Naples

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  14. I'll take a family size tarte.

    With one fork.

    Please. Thank you.

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  15. Tarte aux pommes. Yum yum. Love your watercolor. Also very yum.

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