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Tarts are the most delicious dessert to make during the berry season. They’re the perfect way to combine the freshness of the berries with the crunchiness of the tart shell. I always feel tarts are such a pretty dessert and perfect for a special occasion. The tang of the strawberries lets you enjoy the season in its entirety!
Prep time: 60 mins (incl 30 mins chilling) – Cook time: 45 mins – Total time: 135 mins
Ingredients:
Dough base (this is enough for 5 mini tarts)
- 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tbsp cold and cubed unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp cold water (or slightly less)
Pastry Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons corn flour (corn starch)
- 1/4 cup milk
Equipment:
| Measuring cups and spoons |
| 3 medium bowls |
| 2 sauce pans |
| Sieve |
| 5 mini tart pans (any shape) |
| Small bowl |
| Rolling pin |
How to…..
Dough base
Mix the flour and butter in a bowl. Mix it with your fingers, rubbing in the butter until you get a crumbly texture. Then add the water a little at a time until you form a soft dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the pastry cream.
Pastry Cream
Whisk with a fork the eggs and half the sugar in a medium bowl.
Combine the cornstarch and milk in a small bowl.
Mix the heavy cream, half the sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat until they come to a boil. Remove the mixture from the heat and gradually add about half of it to the egg mixture. Keep whisking it as you add it. Then pour all of it back into the sauce pan and keep whisking it. Return it to the stove top, and over medium heat add the milk mixture. Bring it to a boil, and keep stirring it until it starts thickening. Pour it into a bowl through a sieve (if it’s smooth skip the sieve). Put plastic wrap over it – touching the surface of the pastry cream so it doesn’t form a skin layer. Chill it in the fridge.
Now back to the dough base – preheat the oven to 200 Celsius/400 Fahrenheit. Roll out the dough out on a floured wooden board/surface until it’s about 1/8th of an inch/0.3 cm. Now place it over the tart pan. This is easier done when the rolled-out dough is at least 2-3 cm wider than the tart pan itself. Press down very gently so you don’t break it. You can roll the rolling pin over the tart shell to cut off the dough that is draping over the side (you can find YouTube videos for an easy illustration). Prick the base with a fork all over. Put foil or parchment paper over the dough and fill it with baking beans or uncooked rice (this will prevent the dough from puffing up). Bake it for 10-15 minutes. Take it out of the oven and remove the foil with the baking beans or rice. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 Celsius/350 Fahrenheit and put it back in for 30 minutes until the crust is golden.
Assembling the tart: once the pastry cream and tart shell are both cool, fill the tart shell with the pastry cream. Top it with sliced strawberries.
This recipe is for 6 inch / 15 cm mini tarts. You can double the recipe for a 10 inch / 25 cm tart dish.