Fruit and Cream Mini-Tarts

Fruit and Cream Mini-Tarts


Ingredients
Tart Crust:

•     1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
•     ⅓ cup powdered sugar
•     ¼ teaspoon salt
•     ½ cup butter (1 stick), chilled
•     1 egg yolk (from a large egg)
•     1 tablespoon heavy cream

Cream Filling:

•     2-3/4 cups milk (I use 2-1/2 cups nonfat milk + ¼ cup whipping cream but any type will work)
•     ⅔ cup sugar
•     ¼ cup cornstarch
•     ⅛ teaspoon salt
•     4 egg yolks
•     2 tablespoons butter
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

•     ¼ cup currant jelly

Instructions
Crust:

    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 mixed with cream. Pulse until all ingredients are moistened. Then allow machine to run a few seconds until dough starts to stick together. (Add additional drops of cream if dough seems too dry.) Press dough into a roll like refrigerated cookie dough. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
    Spray molds generously with Baker’s Secret or something like it. (Baker’s Secret is an aerosol spray that mixes flour and oil.) If using silicone molds, no greasing is necessary.
    Slice roll of dough into 12 pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll dough between two pieces of plastic wrap into a circle slightly larger than tart molds. Press into mold with fingers being careful to keep thickness consistent. Use a knife to trim off any extra at the top. I usually have enough scraps to make another tart or two. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, overnight or up to a month.
    Place frozen tart shells on cookie sheet and press a small square of foil down into each crust that molds to shape of crust. See picture above. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until golden brown, usually about 3-4 minutes.

Cream Filling:

    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.
    Add butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Assembly:

    Fill each baked tart shell with cream filling. Top with fruit of your choice. Melt ¼ cup currant jelly and use a brush to dab some shininess on each piece of fruit. It’s OK if some drips onto the cream.

Simple Homemade Fresh Fruit Tart

Simple Homemade Fresh Fruit Tart

Ingredients

Crust (may sub refrigerated store-bought pie crust):

•     1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
•     1 tablespoon sugar
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, ice cold, cut into 1/2" cubes
•     2-4 tablespoons ice water

Pastry Cream (may sub prepared instant vanilla pudding):

•     2 cups half & half
•     1/3 cup + 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, divided
•     pinch salt
•     5 large egg yolks
•     3 tablespoons cornstarch
•     4 tablespoons unsalted butter
•     2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    Flavor Variations

•         Flavored: Add 1/4 t.- 1/2 t. flavor extract of your choice: coconut, almond, mint, etc. (add in with vanilla extract)
•         Adult: 1 tablespoon flavored liqueur (add in with vanilla extract)
•         Chocolate: 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (add in with cornstarch)
•         Cinnamon: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (add in with vanilla extract)
•         Cappuccino/Mocha: 1 tablespoon espresso powder/instant coffee granules, may combine with cocoa (add in with the half & half)
•         Citrus: zest and juice from 1/2-1 whole lemon, lime, orange, etc. (add in with vanilla extract)
•         Berry/Fruity: 1/3 cup seedless fruit puree or preserves of your choice: raspberry, strawberry, etc. (add in with vanilla extract)
•         Extra Light & Fluffy: 1/2-1 cup whipped cream (fold into cooled pastry cream)

Fruit Topping:

    2-3 cups fresh fruit, sliced if necessary (I used fresh blackberries, a kiwi, canned sliced peaches, fresh strawberries and a few fresh blueberries)

Glaze (optional):

    2-4 tablespoon seedless jam or jelly in flavor of your choice (strawberry or raspberry work well)

Directions
Pie Crust (skip this if using pre-made refrigerated pie crust):
Combine flour, sugar, and salt with your fingers, fork, or in a food processor. Blend in butter until mixture looks sandy, like a coarse meal, with tiny balls of butter. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a little at a time if needed. Flatten dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Do not over knead dough, little balls of butter will be visible. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to two days.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Press dough into a 6"-9" pie tin. Line dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dry rice/beans. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil and weights. Continue to bake, about 5-10 minutes longer until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Pastry Cream:
Bring the half-and-half, 1/3 cup of sugar and salt to a simmer over medium/high heat, in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup sugar for about 45 seconds.

Once the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly whisk half of it in to the egg yolk mixture to temper the yolks so they don't "cook" when you put them in the hot pot. Then, slowly whisk the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until nice and thick, and a few bubbles burst on the surface, about 30 seconds.

Remove from heat and let cool a minute. Whisk in butter and vanilla. If there are any lumps, remove them with a spoon, or strain the pastry cream into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve or strainer. Press a layer of plastic wrap directly on to the surface of your pastry cream (this will prevent a layer of skin from forming on top) and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Assemble:
Just before serving, pour your chilled pastry cream into your pie crust and arrange your fruit on top. If you want a glaze on your tart, simply heat your jelly in the microwave for just a few seconds, until slightly melted and brush it over the fruit. Serve and enjoy!

The Ultimate Fresh Fruit Tart

The Ultimate Fresh Fruit Tart

Ingredients

• 1 Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
• 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/3  Cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups fruit, such as raspberries, blackberries, sliced nectarines, kiwifruit
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon water

INSTRUCTION

    1 Heat oven to 450°F. Press pie crust into 10-inch tart pan; prick bottom and side with fork. Bake 10 minutes; turn oven down to 350°F. Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
    2 Melt chocolate and 4 tablespoons of the whipping cream over low heat. Stir until smooth; spread into baked pie shell, coating bottom of crust. Refrigerate.
    3 In heavy 2-quart saucepan, cook butter, sugar and cornstarch over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thick and mixture boils; boil 1 minute.
    4 Beat egg yolks in small bowl; stir small amount of sugar mixture into egg yolks. Slowly add egg mixture to remaining sugar mixture in saucepan, stirring rapidly to avoid lumps. Cook 1 minute over low heat. Remove from heat; add vanilla.
    5 Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. Whip 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cold egg mixture into whipped cream with whisk. Fill pie shell with mixture. Top tart with fruit.
    6 Microwave apricot jam and water in small microwavable bowl uncovered on High 1 minute. Glaze fruit with jam mixture using pastry brush. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours and serve.