Mini Fruit Tartlets with Pastry Cream

These little bites of heaven look fancy but are way easier than they seem! Today we’re talking about Fruit Tartlets! Sounds amazing, right?

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Fruit Tartlets

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Chill Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 247kcal

Author Dana DeVolk

Ingredients

Pastry Cream:

Sweet shortcrust pastry:

1/2 cup unsalted butter chilled, chopped into cubes
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons chilled water

Garnishes:

1 tablespoons apricot jam/conserve optional
1 tablespoon water
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
2 kiwifruit skin removed and sliced

Instructions

To make the pastry cream, add the milk and 1/4 of the granulated sugar to a medium saucepan, and whisk to combine.
2 cups whole milk, 1/4 + 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Place the saucepan over a medium heat, stirring often, and bring to the boil.
While the milk mixture is heating, add the egg yolks, whole egg, cornstarch and remaining 1/3 granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
2 large egg yolks, 1 large whole egg, 1/4 cup cornstarch
Once the milk mixture has come to the boil, remove from the heat and pour in a very slow drizzle into the bowl with the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Once all of the milk mixture has been added to the egg mixture, pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan.
Place the saucepan back over a medium heat and bring back to the boil while whisking constantly.
Once the mixture has come to the boil, remove from the heat. Stir through the butter until melted, then stir through the vanilla.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
Transfer to the fridge to cool completely.
While the pastry cream is cooling, make a start on the pastry. Add the chilled butter cubes, flour, powdered sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and chilled water to the processor and pulse until the mixture has just combined and a crumbly dough begins to form, adding additional chilled water only if necessary.
1 large egg, 2 tablespoons chilled water
Turn the pastry dough onto a floured surface and bring the dough together with your hands.
Shape into a disc.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°c. Work with half of the dough at a time, covering the other half in plastic wrap and returning to the fridge.
Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, and roll with a rolling pin until the dough is approximately 1/8 inch in thickness.
Cut rounds from the dough that are larger than the tart tins using a sharp knife or large cookie cutter.
Press the rounds of dough gently into the 3 inch tart tins which have been greased with a non-stick cooking spray, shaping the dough with your fingers to the inside of the tin.
Trim the excess dough with a sharp knife or by running a rolling pin over the top of the tart tins. Repeat with the remaining half of dough.
Place tart tins in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Pierce the base of the pastry with a fork at least 4 times. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and starting to turn golden.
Set aside to cool completely.
Once the pastry shells have cooled completely, remove from the tart tins.
Combine the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water, and microwave for 30 seconds or until hot.
1 tablespoons apricot jam/conserve, 1 tablespoon water
Whisk with a fork to combine.
Use a pastry brush to brush the inside of each pastry shell with the apricot mixture.
Fill the shells with approximately 2 tablespoons each of the pastry cream, and top with the fresh fruit.
1 cup blueberries, 1 cup raspberries, 2 kiwifruit
Glaze the fruit with the remaining apricot mixture, if desired.

Notes

Chill It – Keep that cold butter icy—makes the buttery shortbread crust flaky, not floppy!
Roll Easy – Use parchment paper—no sticking, smoother than my dance moves!
Press Right – Shape the tart dough into the tart molds—no gaps, just cozy crusts!
Fork It – Poke the tart shells with a fork—stops them puffing up like a balloon!
Cool First – Let the pastry dough chill—keeps it from shrinking like my laundry mishaps!
Brush Smart – Use a pastry brush with apricot preserves—shiny fruit without the mess!

Nutrition