Mini Fruit Tarts
These bite-sized pastries are filled with silky pastry cream and topped with fresh fruit, making them perfect for brunch or parties.
Ingredients
Tart Dough
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter See notes for using salted butter.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 250 g all-purpose flour 2 cups spooned and leveled.
Pastry Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- pinch salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted or salted butter Optional.
Toppings
- Strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, peaches, etc. Use fresh seasonal fruit.
Instructions
Prepare Pastry Cream
- Warm the milk with vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Whisk egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch until smooth, then temper with hot milk.
- Return to heat and cook until thick. Stir in butter if using, then cool and chill.
Make Tart Dough
- Cream butter with sugar and salt, add egg, then fold in flour until a soft dough forms.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Roll and Shape
- Roll dough on a floured surface, cut rounds to fit tart pans or muffin tin, press in and trim excess.
Bake Tart Shells
- Blind-bake shells at 350°F until edges are golden, about 12–15 minutes.
- Remove weights and bake for 3–5 more minutes until bottoms are dry. Cool completely.
Assemble Tarts
- Pipe or spoon chilled pastry cream into shells.
- Arrange sliced fruit on top and chill briefly before serving.
Notes
Dust with powdered sugar or brush fruit with apricot glaze for shine. Store filled tarts in the fridge and assemble close to serving time for best texture.