Description
Buttery mini fruit tarts with crisp pâte sucrée shells, silky homemade pastry cream, and vibrant fresh fruit topping—perfect for elegant gatherings, brunch spreads, or customizable dessert bars.
Ingredients
For the crust (pâte sucrée):
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
For the pastry cream (crème pâtissière):
1¾ cups whole milk
5 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Unsalted butter stirred in at end (mentioned in prose earlier)
Toppings:
Strawberries, blueberries (or other fresh fruit of choice)
Apricot jam (1 Tbsp) + water (½ tsp) for optional glaze
Instructions
Make the crust: In a food processor, combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and blend until pea-sized bits remain. Add egg and vanilla; mix until dough forms.
Wrap dough in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.
On a floured surface, roll dough and cut rounds sized 1 inch larger than mini tart pans. Press into pans, trim edges, dock with fork, and freeze 20 minutes.
Bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for 15–20 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
Make pastry cream: Heat milk and vanilla to simmer. In bowl, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks; temper with ¼ cup hot milk. Return to saucepan, whisk over medium-low until thickened; stir in butter for richness. Cover with plastic on surface; chill several hours.
Assemble: Pipe or spoon cooled pastry cream into tart shells. Top with fresh fruit. Optional: glaze fruit with warmed apricot jam-water mixture.
Chill assembled tarts at least 30 minutes before serving to set and meld flavors.
Notes
Ensure tart shells are baked until golden to prevent sogginess.
Chill both shell and cream fully before filling.
Use a piping bag for precision and presentation.
Glazing imparts shine and preserves fruit.
Assemble just before serving when possible for freshness.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Chill Time:: 3 hours (dough and pastry cream chilling)
- Cook Time: 1 hour (includes crust baking plus cream cooking)
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
