Mini Fruit Tarts

Hi friends.  It’s Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home with another sweet treat for you.

MY OTHER RECIPES

As the weather warms up, I find myself shifting focus from chocolate and caramel desserts to lighter-flavored sweets. I love fresh berries and these mini fruit tarts really let the juicy fresh fruit shine.

I also love mini desserts this time of year.  Entertaining tends to take a more casual turn with dinner and drinks on patios and decks, kids running around outside until dark, and bite-sized desserts seem both fancy and casual to me.  You can grab one (or more!) as you’re passing by the dessert platter and there’s just something so pretty about a collection of little tarts piled up on top of each other.  These would be great for those end-of-year or graduation parties we all seem to have this time of year.

The crust is made from a simple food processor dough reminiscent of shortbread and pressed into mini-muffin tins.  Vanilla custard fills the cups after they’re baked and you should top the custard with whatever fruit is freshest and at its peak at the time.  I chose to use blueberries and raspberries.

Another perk of mini desserts?  You can sample them before setting them out for your guests :)

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Mini Fruit Tarts

Yield: About 48 mini tarts.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1/3 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp. cold water
  - - - - -
• 2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  - - - - -
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 pint fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.

2. For crust, add flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a food processor and process to blend. Add 1/2 c. cold butter and use on/off turns until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water and process just until the dough starts to stick together. Add more water by teaspoonfuls if the dough is dry.

3. Scoop about a tablespoon of dough into the cups of a mini muffin pan and press onto bottom and partially up sides. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pans 5 minutes. Use a knife to pop out the crust cups and cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, for the custard, put milk and vanilla bean paste in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 c. of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.

5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Spoon into the cooled crust cups and let sit at room temperature about 20 minutes. Top with berries and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Come visit me anytime at The Chronicles of Home and see what else I’ve been up to lately.

 Greeña Colada Smoothie | DIY X-Base Table | Salted Chocolate Tart

I’m Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home, where I share DIY and home decorating projects as well as lots of yummy food.  My truest loves are my husband and two young daughters, but I’ve also fallen for salvaging, refinishing, & reupholstering old furniture and building furniture from the frame up.  I have a sweet tooth to be reckoned with and love testing new desserts, though most of the time I eat and feed my family delicious, interesting, healthy food. I’m drawn to beautiful fabric, great books, anything kelly green, pasta made from scratch, dark chocolate, and brown butter.  I’m so thrilled to be a member of the I Heart Naptime creative team!