Mini Fruit Tarts

These are by far my favorite dessert!  I was so happy when I found a recipe for them, they are SO easy!  Don't they look heavenly? :)

Mini Fruit Tarts

Ingredients

• Tart Crust:
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), chilled
• 1 egg yolk, broken with a fork

• Cream Filling:
• 2-3/4 cups milk (I use nonfat milk, but any type will work)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Cut butter into 8 slices and add to flour, pulsing several times until mixture resembles oatmeal. Add egg yolk.  Pulse until all ingredients are moistened but not yet a solid ball. (See note below if mixture seems too dry.) Lightly press into a ball, cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Pull off small amount of dough and roll out with rolling pin.  Using a cookie cutter, cut out circles and fold over the back of the mini-muffin tin  with fingers being careful to keep thickness consistent.  
3. I poke three small holes in the tart so the air has somewhere to escape and the bottoms are flat and even. 
4. Place the shells in the oven and cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, 20 minutes for bigger tarts. Watch carefully as the time can vary according to the thickness of the crust and also the size of the tart.  (Since the ones I make are so small they cook a lot faster).

Once tarts are cooked, remove from muffin tin and let cool completely.

Cream Filling:

1. Add milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks, (in that order) to blender. Blend 5 seconds and pour into 2-quart glass microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 6 minutes on HIGH, whisking until smooth after 3 minutes, then every minute thereafter.  (My microwave takes a little longer to work, so if the cream isn't the right consistency continue microwaving in 1 minute intervals, whisking after each minute, until you've reached desired consistency.
2. Add butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth.  (The cream filling can be made in advance and refrigerated.  I refrigerate it once it's done just to help cool it down a little).
3. Assembly:

1. Fill each baked tart shell with cream filling. Top with fruit of your choice.  In the tarts pictured here we used strawberries, peaches, and blackberries.  My husband wanted to take them to 'the next level', and he melted chocolate chips and an Andes mint, let it harden in the fridge, and then cut small pieces to go on top as well.

Notes

1. If dough in food processor seems too dry to press into a ball, add a teaspoon or two of milk.
2. Tarts are best eaten the day they are assembled.  If I don't need to make all of them at once I will put the dough and cream in the fridge.  They will both be fine for a couple of days.

For a printable version of this recipe click below

Printable recipe

Recipe adapted from here.