10 sweet and savoury tart recipes: from lemon tarts to bacon and cheese quiches
What’s better than a dish that can be sweet or savoury? From chocolate, custard and lemon tarts to cheese, bacon and french onion. These tart recipes are sure to inspire.
Few things in life are better than the versatile tart. A perfectly golden, buttery base will almost always complement any kind of filling — whether that be a simple egg custard or a more adventurous combination of flavours.
With these recipes from the archive perfecting the art of baking a flawless tart, mini tart or tartlet doesn’t have to be a difficult task. In fact, you can comfortably make a savoury batch for packed work lunch or as a sweet afternoon tea treat. Our guide to the best tart recipes contains beautiful and deliciously sweet and savoury tarts from trusted chefs and cooks around Australia.
If trips to Portugal to find the best custard tart or to Paris to devour a French onion tart aren’t on the cards, whip one of these recipes up yourself from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Here are 10 of our favourite tart recipes.
5 savoury tart recipes for any time of day
Not a sweet tooth? These savoury tarts are topped with beautifully colourful veggies or filled with creamy cheeses. Cook one up in a mini size for a starter to any meal, or go all-out on a roast vegetable variation for family dinner.
1. Cheese and bacon tart recipe by Gareth Whitton
‘This tart took longer to get right than any other on the menu,’ says Gareth Whitton. The first versions were way too intense; incorporating all the required, but heavy, elements of a tart and achieving a balance of flavour and a final product that was portionable at room temperature was almost impossibly hard. After many iterations, here is the final recipe. According to Whitton it’s so good that it seems unlikely it will ever change again.
Get the recipe for Gareth Whitton’s cheese and bacon tart.
2. Potato and rosemary tart recipe by Elizabeth Hewson
This is a great way to celebrate the humble potato. While the potato tart is perfect on its own, a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a drizzle of honey can be glorious additions. If that’s not your jam, salty anchovies layered over the top are also a nice adornment.
Get the recipe for Elizabeth Hewson’s potato and rosemary tart.
3. Goat cheese crostada freeform tart recipe
This freeform tart features rustic pastry encasing a Mediterranean-style filling of roasted vegetables. The ricotta recipe is a good introduction to cheese-making as it is fast and easy; you’ll need a food-grade thermometer to ensure accuracy.
Get the recipe for Tamara Newing’s goat cheese crostada.
4. Tomato tart recipe by Alice Zaslavsky
Larger tomatoes can be quite meaty, which is why this pescatarian version of the Italian classic Vitello Tonnato works wonderfully. The skinny slices soak up the creamy tuna dressing for a sensational light lunch. For something more substantial, roasted toms become saucy and savoury – terrific in this topsy-turvy tart.
Get the recipe for Alice Zaslavsky upside-down tomato & onion tart.
5. French onion tart recipe by David Herbert
This onion tart makes a great main course served warm with salad – or you can cut it into smaller pieces to eat as a snack.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s french onion tart.
5 sweet tart recipes to satisfy your sweet treat cravings
Some like their tarts sweet, filled with rich chocolate-filling or sticky caramel. Others prefer a selection of the season’s best fruits. Whichever recipe you choose, there’ll be something to hit your sweet tooth. From a classic lemon tart with a zingy curd and buttery crust, to a juicy peach pie, there’s a sweet tart for everyone.
1. Creamy lemon tart recipe by Natalie Paul
What makes the perfect lemon tart? The lemon curd filling. According to Natalie Paul, low-rise lemon tarts are more pleasing because the relationship of delicate lemony custard and buttery cradle crust is balanced. Even more so when you have good lemons. What constitutes a good lemon? ‘Misshapen, bumpy-skinned, aroma-before-appearance fruit from a back yard or organic grocer,’ says Paul.
Get the recipe for Natalie Paul’s lemon tarts.
2. Vanilla custard tart recipe by Gareth Whitton
With buttery pastry and a creamy filling, it’s no wonder this dish has become a classic. ‘There’s something so satisfying about a vanilla custard that cannot be surpassed,’ says Tarts anon author Gareth Whitton. To nail this recipe you need two things - the texture of the custard and that taste of the vanilla.
Get the recipe for Gareth Whitton’s vanilla custard tart.
3. Chocolate tart recipe by Lennox Hastie
‘This dessert is a dance of contrasts, each element complementing the other,’ says Lennox Hastie. The combination of salt and chocolate will have you coming back for more. This tart is adapted from an original recipe by Simon Hopkinson, evolving to incorporate wattleseed, cocoa, and a touch of salt.
Get the recipe for Lennox Hastie’s chocolate tart.
4. Peach pie recipe by Elizabeth Hewson
Picture a sweet tart brimming with a honey fragrance and dripping with juice. This tart is made up of three components – the peaches, which are macerated to help draw out their peachiness, a vanilla-spiked, billowy mascarpone cream, and a crumbly tart shell.
Get the recipe for Elizabeth Hewson’s peach pie recipe.
5. Caramelised apple tart by Elizabeth Hewson
This puff pastry open tart is lined with a simple frangipane mixture which is then covered with thinly sliced apples. This tart is versatile; it can be an elegant dessert, a brunch, or served for afternoon tea. It’s excellent eaten straight from the oven but also delicious at room temperature.
Get the recipe for Elizabeth Hewson’s caramelised apple tart.
Want more recipe ideas? Check out these restaurant quality recipes from our favourite celebrity chefs or these easy tray bake recipe ideas. For more food ideas, go to theaustralian.com.au/life/food-drink. For weekly recipes sign up to our weekly food and wine newsletter.
