Mini Fruit Tarts With Pastry Cream

Mini Fruit Tarts with Pastry Cream are a delightful dessert that everyone loves. They are light, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion. These small tarts are not only beautiful to look at but also delicious to eat. The combination of buttery tart crust filled with smooth pastry cream and topped with fresh fruits makes them irresistible. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, hosting a gathering, or just treating yourself, these mini tarts are a great choice!

How to Make Mini Fruit Tarts With Pastry Cream

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Butter (unsalted, cold)
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Powder sugar
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 3/4 cups Milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 5 Egg yolks
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• 1 tbsp Apricot jam
• 1/2 tsp Water

Directions

Start by making the tart dough. In a food processor, add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt, and mix until combined. Add the cold cubed butter, and blend until there are pea-sized pieces of butter. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do it by hand, mixing the cold butter into the flour mixture. Make sure that your hands are cold.

Then, add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until a dough forms. Try not to overmix the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Transfer the dough onto a clean floured surface and roll it with a rolling pin into a rectangle. Use a cookie cutter or a round bowl (1 inch larger than the mini tart pans) and cut small rounds of the pastry. Place the pastry inside the mini tart pans and press it down using your clean hands. Cut off the extra edges. Make holes in the bottom of the pan with a fork and place them in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Bake in a 180°C (350°F) preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown color. Remove from the oven and let it cool while making the filling.

Make the pastry cream by whisking together milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it thickens. Once cooked, let it cool. Once the tart shells are ready and cooled, fill each tart with the pastry cream.

Top with fresh strawberries and blueberries, then heat apricot jam with water until melted and brush it over the fruit to give it a nice shine.

How to Serve Mini Fruit Tarts With Pastry Cream

Serve these mini fruit tarts chilled or at room temperature. They make a great addition to any dessert table. Arrange them on a platter for a beautiful presentation.

How to Store Mini Fruit Tarts With Pastry Cream

Store any leftover tarts in the refrigerator. They can be kept for up to 2 days. Just be sure to keep them covered so the crust stays fresh.

Tips to Make Mini Fruit Tarts With Pastry Cream

• Make sure your butter is cold to get a flaky tart crust.
• Don’t skip chilling the dough; it helps in keeping the shapes when baking.
• Feel free to use any fruits you like or have on hand, such as kiwi or peaches.

Variation

You can change up the filling for these tarts by using chocolate ganache instead of pastry cream or add a twist by using lemon curd as the filling.

FAQs

1. Can I make the tart shells in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the tart shells a day ahead. Just keep them in an airtight container until you are ready to fill and serve them.

2. Can I freeze the tarts?
It’s best not to freeze filled tarts since fresh fruit can become soggy when thawed. However, you can freeze unbaked tart shells for up to a month.

3. How can I make the pastry cream dairy-free?
You can substitute regular milk with almond or soy milk. Just be sure to use dairy-free butter as well.

Mini Fruit Tarts with Pastry Cream

Delightful mini fruit tarts filled with smooth pastry cream and topped with fresh fruits, perfect for any occasion.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12 tarts

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, French

Calories: 150

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the tart crust

• 1/2 cup Butter (unsalted, cold) Use cold butter for a flaky crust.
• 1 large Egg
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Powder sugar
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 cups Flour

For the pastry cream filling

• 1 3/4 cups Milk Use dairy-free alternatives if needed.
• 5 large Egg yolks
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract

For the topping

• 1 cup Strawberries Fresh
• 1 cup Blueberries Fresh
• 1 tbsp Apricot jam For glazing
• 1/2 tsp Water To melt apricot jam

Method

 

Preparation of tart crust

1. In a food processor, add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt, and mix until combined.
2. Add the cold cubed butter, and blend until there are pea-sized pieces.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Baking the tart shells

1. Transfer the dough onto a clean floured surface and roll it into a rectangle.
2. Use a cookie cutter or a round bowl to cut small rounds of the pastry.
3. Place the pastry inside the mini tart pans and press it down, cutting off excess edges.
4. Make holes in the bottom of the pan with a fork and place them in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

Making the pastry cream filling

1. Whisk together the milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract in a saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until it thickens, then let it cool.

Assembling the tarts

1. Fill each tart shell with the pastry cream.
2. Top with fresh strawberries and blueberries.
3. Heat apricot jam with water until melted and brush over the fruit for shine.

Serving

1. Serve these mini fruit tarts chilled or at room temperature.
2. Arrange them on a platter for a beautiful presentation.

Notes

Make sure your butter is cold for a flaky crust. Don’t skip chilling the dough to maintain shape while baking. Variations include using other fruits or different fillings like chocolate ganache or lemon curd.