Italian Fruit Tart

I haven't made anything new for awhile, but this recipe is one that I keep forgetting to share here. I started making fruit tarts some years ago and am definitely overdue for my next one. I much prefer a cake-y base for a tart, rather than the harder pastry crust I've found in some store-bought tarts. The key to making this dessert both yummy and beautiful is to use fruits of different colors. I tend to use kiwis, tangerines and strawberries for the bright colors they have, and will add small berries, bananas, or other fruits that are in season. With the abundance of fruit available in the summer, this is an excellent warm-weather dessert.

What you'll need:
3 Tbs. finely-ground hazelnuts or almonds
3 Tbs. finely-ground vanilla cookie crumbs
1/4c. brown sugar
3 1/2 Tbs. butter or margarine, divided
2 eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. flour
2 Tbs. rum
1/2 c. milk
4-5 kinds of fruit, peeled and divided into pieces as necessary
3/4 c. apple jelly

What you'll need to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the ground nuts, the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, and 2 1/2 Tbs of the butter with your fingers. Butter and dust an 11- to 11 1/2-inch tart pan. Sprinkle the nut mixture on the flat part of the pan and gently press down.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the sugar and mix together at high speed until thick. Stir in the flour and the rum.
4. In a small pan, bring the milk and the remaining 1 Tbs. of butter to simmering. Immediately mix into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the tart pan and bake on the lowest rack in the oven for about 25 minutes. Cake will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the deepest part of the cake should come out clean.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Flip the pan over and ease the cake out of the pan. The nut mixture may stick. If this happens, scrape it off of the pan and gently spread it back onto the cake with a knife. Let the cake cool completely.
7. While the cake is cooling, strain the apple jelly (to thin it out so the consistency remains even) and add it to a small pan. Heat over medium-low heat until runny.
8. Arrange the fruit on the tart. Glaze with the warm apple jelly and let cool.

Now sit back and enjoy the ooos and ahhs when you serve your picture-worthy dessert. You can have it with whipped cream or all by itself. Enjoy!