Port Glazed Grape Tart with a Pecan Crust

Here is a stunning grape tart that would make the perfect dessert for New Year’s Eve, served with bubbly, of course. I tried this recipe several years ago after seeing it in a magazine and it turned out so well I have placed it on my “easy and elegant fruit desserts for special events list…” This year, I made the tart with two types of seedless grapes – red ones and nearly black ones and the two toned effect was even more impressive than the original tart recipe. The photo of the tart above is one of my favorite photos of the year… Glazed with a port wine and Concord grape jelly reduction (super easy to make), the fresh grapes are tossed briefly and placed in a pecan/cinnamon crust that is also very easy to make. Almost all of the ingredients are readily available in Manila around the holidays and this tart never fails to wow the guests…

Here is a link to the original recipe from Gourmet Magazine in November 2002. I strongly recommend the two-toned variation. I wouldn’t use green grapes for this tart. And while the original recipe suggests serving this with a stilton or blue cheese, you may also consider serving it with a rich triple cream cheese…or as we did the other night, with heavy or whipped cream on the side. It was perfect. The nuttiness of the crust with hints of cinnamon, the lightness of the fresh grapes (not baked) and lightly glazed in a heady concoction of sugar, grape jelly and good port makes for a terrific dessert. Try it the next time you want to impress but don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen! Serve on a silver tray. Can be garnished with mint leaves or as I have done in these photos, with large hydrangea leaves on the silver tray. I made several of these tarts and gave some of them away to folks for their Christmas Eve meal.