Fruit Tartlets

These French Mini Fruit Tarts filled with Pastry Cream are the perfect bite-sized dessert for a party or afternoon tea. The homemade buttery and crunchy tartlet shells are filled with a delicious vanilla cream and topped with fresh fruits.

Ingredients

Tart Dough

• ½ cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter
• 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour (167 grams)
• 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
• 1½ tablespoons (22.5 grams) whole milk
• 1 large egg yolk (19 grams)

• Tart Dough
• Pastry Cream
• 4 cups (about 560 grams) assorted fresh berries (such as blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
• ½ cup (160 grams) apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water

Directions

Tart Dough

Step 1: Cut butter into ¼-inch cubes. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, and salt by hand. Add frozen butter, and beat at low speed until butter is broken into small pieces, about 1½ minutes. (If any large pieces of butter remain, squeeze between fingers to break up.)

Step 3: In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk and egg yolk. With mixer on lowest speed, add milk mixture to flour mixture, beating just until moist clumps form. Transfer mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, bring mixture together to form a cohesive dough. (It is fine if there are visible pieces of butter—they help create a flakier crust.) Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. (Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

Fruit Tartlets

Step 1: Preheat Pizzello oven to 350°F (180°C). Invert a 12-cup muffin pan.

Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, roll Tart Dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 3¾- to 4-inch fluted round cutter*, cut 12 rounds (about 16 grams each), rerolling scraps as necessary. Drape 1 round onto bottom of each muffin cup. Prick each several times with a fork.

Step 3: Bake until crusts are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 4: Pipe about ¼ cup (85 grams) Pastry Cream into each prepared tart shell. Top with desired berries.

Step 5: In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat preserves and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water just until bubbly; stir until combined. Strain mixture through a medium-mesh strainer.

Step 6: Carefully brush preserves mixture onto fruit.