Mini Fruit Tarts

These elegant Mini Fruit Tarts with Pastry Cream are a perfect bite-sized treat for any occasion, from parties to afternoon tea. Featuring buttery, crunchy tartlet shells filled with a smooth vanilla cream and topped with fresh fruit, these tarts are a delightful combination of flavors and textures.

- Ingredients

Tartlet Shells:

250g (1 2/3 cups) Plain / AP Flour 

50g (1/2 cup) Icing Sugar 

1 pinch Fine Table Salt 

120g (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter, very cold 

1 medium Egg 

Vanilla Pastry Cream:

375ml (1 1/2 cups) Full Cream / Whole Milk 

1 Vanilla Bean (or 2 teaspoons Vanilla Paste) 

3 medium Egg Yolks, at room temperature 

30g (2 1/2 tablespoons) Caster Sugar 

30g (3 tablespoons) Cornstarch 

Fruit Topping:

1 Kiwi Fruit 

10 Blackberries 

10 Strawberries 

1 Plum 

Fresh Mint, to taste (optional) 

Instructions

Tartlet Shells:

1️⃣ Prepare the Dough: In a food processor, combine the sifted flour, icing sugar, and salt. Pulse for a few seconds to mix. Add the cold butter, cut into small cubes, and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

2️⃣ Form the Dough: Add the egg and pulse until the dough starts to come together. Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of baking paper and shape it into a ball. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and roll out to about 4mm (1/8 inch) thickness. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

3️⃣ Shape the Tartlet Shells: Remove the dough from the fridge, peel off the top sheet of baking paper, and cut out disks slightly larger than your tartlet pans. Line the pans with the pastry, pressing gently to fit and trimming any excess. Dock the bottoms with a fork.

4️⃣ Chill and Bake: Chill the tartlet shells in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Place the shells in the freezer while the oven preheats. Line each shell with baking paper and fill with baking weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights and paper, and bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Vanilla Pastry Cream:

1️⃣ Infuse the Milk: In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the split vanilla bean and seeds (or vanilla paste) over low heat. Bring to a simmer, then cover and let infuse off the heat for 10-15 minutes.

2️⃣ Prepare the Cream Base: In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until foamy. Sift in the cornstarch and whisk until smooth.

3️⃣ Combine and Cook: Slowly pour the warm milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the cream thickens (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill for 1 hour.

Assembling the Tarts:

1️⃣ Prepare the Fruits: Wash and slice the strawberries and blackberries in half, and slice the plum and kiwi into thin slices.

2️⃣ Fill the Tartlets: Pipe the chilled pastry cream into the tartlet shells using a pastry bag, filling about halfway. Gently tap the shells to level the cream.

3️⃣ Decorate with Fruits: Arrange the fresh fruits over the pastry cream, pressing gently to secure. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.

4️⃣ Optional Glaze: For a glossy finish, brush a neutral glaze or fruit glaze over the fruits.

Serve and Enjoy!

Keep the mini fruit tarts refrigerated until ready to serve, preferably as soon as possible to enjoy the fresh fruits at their best.