Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Fruit Tarts From Bonaparte Bread

The '34 Act Gourmet can bring home the bacon and roast it up in a pan.  But he also knows how to buy himself a gourmet dish -- especially a nice dessert.

Twice over the last months, he has picked up fruit tarts at Bonaparte Bread in Savage, and they've been hits both on his table and when he brought them to our friend's house for dinner:
Generally speaking, I hate most fruit. I will eat it, but only reluctantly and after much nagging from the wife. The problem I have with fruit is not the taste but the texture; I just don't like it regardless of how organic or fresh the fruit may be.
Obviously, I'm not the first person you would think to rush out and buy a fruit tart. However, when I was short on ideas of what to bring for dessert to a dinner party, at the suggestion of a friend, that's exactly what I did.
The fruit tart came from Bonaparte Bread, which has locations in Baltimore and in the Savage Mills shopping center. The day before I needed the tart, I called to place the order. The staff was friendly and helped me select an appropriate size for the tart based on the number of guests at the party. The tart was ready when I went to pick it up after work the next day and looked wonderful.
Despite my aversion to most fruit, I thoroughly enjoyed the tart. The custard was firm and not too sweet. The crust was delicious, almost cookie-like, and the bakers had applied a thin layer of dark chocolate to the crust to prevent the custard from making it soggy. The fruit on the tart also were firmer than fresh fruit and didn't have the texture I normally dislike about fresh fruit. The only negative to the tart was figuring out how to cut it given the freshness and strength of the crust but trust me this is a very small negative. I've gotten the tart for a second dinner party since the first time and it was a big hit again.
It's the chocolate crust that makes Bonparte's tart such a smart dessert.  It's delicious, and the crust stays crisp.  It's like a shortbread and still crisp hours after it has been picked up, carried home, and sliced up.

2 comments:

anita b. said...

i went to ichiban cafe. it was pretty good in terms of taste and quality. you should do a review. the sushi and chinese food was great in my opinion and i'm chinese. the service is questionable. they still haven't gotten the hang of how to deal with rush hour. could you scan and post their menu? they don't have a website.

website said...

The deserts are fabulous and the service was great. I've gone numerous times and have enjoyed a good cup of coffee and a late. I love their Rosemary lemon bread and their cranberry bread had become a favorite for my breakfast. Their tarts are delectable and I had a light and fruit filled cake today that was yummy.