Tarts

These tarts can be made in the traditional style with a pastry cream. Another suggested filling is lemon curd.

 

Yield: 24-30 individual tarts

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Pastry Cream

 

1 1/2 cups whole milk

 

1/2 cup heavy cream

 

1/2 cup sugar, divided

 

Pinch of salt

 

3 tablespoons cornstarch

 

5 egg yolks

 

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 slices

 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

 

 

Pastry

 

1 egg yolk

 

1/4 cup heavy cream

 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

 

1 1/4 cups  flour

 

2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

 

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, grated and frozen

 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

 

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

 

 

Fruit Topping Suggestions

 

One piece of fruit per tart:

 

24-30 blueberries

 

24-30 raspberries

 

24-30 blackberries

 

24-30 pieces of mixed fruit

 

24-30 mandarin orange slices

 

12-15 medium-sized strawberries, hulled and sliced in half

 

 

 

Steps

 

Pastry Cream

 

1. Place the milk, cream, and ¼ cup of sugar in a saucepan.
2. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Place the saucepan over medium heat.
4. Whisk occasionally until the liquid comes to a simmer.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, salt, cornstarch, and egg yolks  until
6. light and creamy in color.
7. When the milk mixture is hot, add ¼ cup of it to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat this step until a full cup of milk has been added.
8. Whisk the milk mixture constantly as the tempered egg mixture is poured into it.
9. Reduce the heat.
10. Continue to whisk constantly until the pastry cream thickens and bubbles begin to come to the surface.
11. Immediately remove the pastry cream from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
12. Add each piece of butter individually, whisking until the piece melts before adding the next.
13. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover.
14. Refrigerate until chilled and firm. The pastry cream can be made a day ahead.

 

Pastry

1. Whisk together the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl.
2. Sift together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
3. Add the frozen, grated butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Add the liquid ingredients and mix with a fork just until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper large enough to cover the dough and create a packet.
6. Flatten the dough into a disc.
7. Enclose the disc in the parchment paper.
8. Place the dough in the ice box for 1 hour.
9. If the dough is too hard to roll, allow it to rest on the counter until soft enough to work.
10. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Do not brown the butter.
11. Use a brush to generously coat the inside of each muffin cup and the top area.
12. Place a piece of 18” long parchment paper on a flat surface.
13. Sift confectioner’s sugar over the paper.
14. Place the dough disc at the center of the parchment paper.
15. Sift confectioner’s sugar lightly over the top of the disc.
16. Roll out the dough, turning the paper to allow for an even spread of the rolled out dough.
17. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough to drop into the muffin cups. (Do not stretch the dough or push the dough down into the cups.)  This is a very soft dough and will stick to the rolling surface. Parchment paper allows for an easier removal of the dough.  If it becomes too sticky to work, place in the icebox for ten minutes to firm it up.
18. Allow the circles of dough to extend slightly beyond the edge of each muffin cup. Roll the dough edge slightly to create a small rim at the top of each cup.
19. Allow the filled muffin cups to rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
20. Freeze the tart pastry for 30 minutes.
21. When ready to bake the tart shells, preheat the oven to 350° F.
22. Cut squares of foil and fit into the frozen muffin cups. Fill with beans or pie weights. This is very important as the crust will shrink if not weighted.
23. Bake for 8 minutes.
24. Rotate the muffin cups and bake another 8 minutes.
25. Remove the foil and weights.
26. Bake 5-10 minutes more until pastry is golden, but not brown.
27. Remove pastry from oven.
28. Carefully remove the tart shells from the muffin cups.
29. Cool completely before filling.
30. When the pastry is completely cooled, fill the tart shells with pastry cream.
31. Garnish with a single piece of fruit on top.
32. Plate and serve.