Sweet and Tangy Grapefruit Tart

I like desserts, but I tend to prefer tarts and galettes that use fruit rather than heavy cakes. Don’t get me wrong, a good chocolate or carrot cake is fine on certain days, but as we move toward summer, I look for citrus desserts that are lighter in taste and offer a refreshing twist on what is typically expected.

Sweet and Tangy Grapefruit Tart absolutely checks all my boxes when it comes to preparing and eating an unexpected dessert. I love grapefruit as a breakfast item, but I’ve also been known to use it in a Bellini because it has such a wonderful combination of tart and sweet. The same can be said for this grapefruit tart. It is easy to prepare with the only baking time being that of the crust. This may become a new favorite on my list of desserts with a twist.

Making the Grapefruit Tart

To prepare the crust, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are finely chopped, then add the sugar until thoroughly combined. Using a Table Knife, slice the butter and melt in the microwave.

Mix the butter into the graham crackers and sugar, pulsing until everything is combined. Press this mixture into the tart pan, pushing the crust up the side of the pan. It doesn’t have to be perfectly even, an uneven side crust will give the tart a more rustic look. Bake the crust until golden brown and set aside.

To prepare the filling, separate the eggs and place the yolks into a glass bowl. Mix together and set the bowl aside. In a saucepan, mix the remaining sugar, cornstarch, grapefruit and lemon juice, cooking over medium heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly.

My cook’s note here is to make sure you use freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. Don’t use store-bought juice that may contain additional sugars and additives. Get your juice directly from the fruit. It’s a little more work but well worth the effort.

The most difficult part of this recipe is tempering the eggs, which brings the egg yolks up to temperature so you don’t end up with a scramble. It’s done by slowly pouring one-third of your hot grapefruit mixture into the egg yolks and stirring slowly.

Once the egg yolks are tempered, add them to the rest of the hot grapefruit sauce.

Cook for an additional two to four minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and creamy. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the butter and continue stirring until all the ingredients are combined and the butter is melted.

Add the one drop of food coloring at this point if you want the tart to look pink in tone. This depends on how red your grapefruit juice was, to begin with, but we found the food coloring added just the right amount of color. Make sure to use gel food coloring, not liquid. Once everything is mixed, pour the filling into the cooled crust and chill overnight if possible.

When ready to serve, carefully remove the tart pan rim and place your grapefruit segments on top of the tart in any pattern you desire.

To find out how to section grapefruit you can check out our easy tutorial.

Prepare your whipped cream (by mixing the whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar at high speed until stiff peaks form) and decorate the tart using a star tip piping bag. Cut into slices (eight servings) and serve.

This Sweet and Tangy Grapefruit Tart was a lovely surprise for the Cutco team. The tartness of the grapefruit blends perfectly with the sweetness of the sugar and butter so you have a refreshing dessert that will finish any meal perfectly. Not to mention it’s a beautiful dessert to present to guests. We hope you enjoy it.