The phrase “I am going to tell you about the time I harvested fruit and made a dessert” evokes nostalgia amongst Generation Z. The quote originates from a Disney Channel commercial series called The Time I (TTI). TTIs aired from 2009-2011 and featured inspiring, informational stories by kids. The series had around 30 episodes, some of the most memorable being the time I Cartwheeled Across the Country, Climbed Mt. Everest, Found Out I Have Dyslexia, and Harvested Fruit and Made a Dessert.

The Time I Harvested Fruit and Made a Dessert is about a little girl named Megan. She explains how she went to a garden and picked fruits like figs, grapefruits, and apricots. The apricots inspired her to take them home and make a fruit tart. As she prepared the dessert, she narrated her steps. This made it easy for the audience to follow along and replicate at home. The ingredients and recipe are as follows:

Ingredients:
Puff Pastry
Raspberry Jam
Raspberries
Apricot
Mint (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Roll out and flatten your puff pastry dough. If you like it sweet, sprinkle dough with sugar on both sides.
Cut the dough into circles based on the desired size of your fruit tart.
Spread the raspberry jam on the dough.
Cut the Apricots into slices and place them around the tart “like spokes on a wheel.”
Place a raspberry in the middle of the tart.
Put the tarts onto a baking sheet and place them into the oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
Take the tarts out and let them cool. Add a mint leaf under the raspberry.
Enjoy!

My friends and I don’t have much experience with baking, but these directions were easy to follow and created a delicious fruit tart. Our only criticism is that the apricots slid off the tart while baking and did not look like the video. However, baking enthusiast Lisa Gill offers that “As a home baker, it’s all about fun for me and not perfection. Although it still has to taste good.” With this changed mindset, our experience was a complete success! We made something that tasted good, had fun, and reminisced about our childhood.

Anyone who watched Disney Channel likely remembers TTIs because they aired during commercial breaks. Morgan Roehl grew up watching Disney Channel and finds TTIs vital because they “inspire children, give ideas, and encourage them to learn new things. For example, you could submit one yourself. It shows if they can do it, so can you.” Many of my friends responded joyfully when I shared the apricot fruit tarts on social media. Tiffany Chamberlain exclaimed, “Oh my god, just unlocked such a core memory.” Likewise, Carleigh Aller replied, “Omg, yes, you just brought me back to my childhood.” Not only were TTIs influential back then, but they have also had a lasting impact on us today. Gill expressed, “I have never baked a fruit tart. But answering these questions makes me want to try it!” So, may Megan’s apricot fruit tarts be an everlasting reminder to have fun and explore new things.

Sources:
https://www.hoteatsandcoolreads.com/2012/06/apricot-fruit-tart-dessert-recipe-from.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlFDC4SEfQo
https://en.everybodywiki.com/TTI:_The_Time_I…