I distinctly remember my visit to Paris and how I eagerly begged my parents for a visit to a local bakery. They finally relented and I raced to the nearest, inviting patisserie – thankfully they were not hard to find! Fragrant aromas of sugar and baked flour greeted us and the line-up desserts did not disappoint. There was one in particular that caught my attention, a berry fruit tart.

The soft but sturdy crust was filled with an enticing assortment of berries nestled on a cushion of smooth pastry cream. As I took a bite of this luscious goodness, I knew I had to learn how to make this dessert. To conserve calories (if you are so inclined!), I have created a mini fruit tart recipe that tastes absolutely wonderful!

Ingredients (Fruit Tarts)

For the shells

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Splash of vanilla extract (to your liking)
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

For vanilla pastry cream

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/2 vanilla bean

For serving

  • Sliced strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries

Method

Prep Time: 60 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves: 9

Shells

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
  2. Add flour and salt; beat until dough just comes together. Gather the dough together to form a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 45-60 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 well mini tart pan with baking spray. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Take 2 tablespoons of dough and press into each well. Place the muffin pan in the freezer until the dough firm (10 minutes). Place a mini-cupcake liner on top of each well of dough and fill it with beans. Bake for 20 minutes until cool enough to handle.
  4. Gently remove the tartlet shells from the pan and allow to cool completely on wire rack.

Pastry Cream

  1. In a medium pot add the milk and vanilla, heat on medium until milk begins to boil. Then remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a medium size bowl, add egg yolks and sugar, beat at medium-high speed until thick and creamy. Slowly add 1/3 of the boiled cooled milk to temper the egg mixture while and continuously beating.
  3. Finally, add the flour and continue stirring until smooth. Add egg mixture to the medium pot with remaining milk and cook over medium-low heat, continuously whisking until the cream has thickened.
  4. Transfer to a glass bowl and cover with plastic (make sure plastic touches to prevent skin from forming)

Assembly

  1. Fill each tartlet shell with pastry cream using a spoon or a piping bag. Top with an assortment of blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries.
  2. Serve to guests or yourself and enjoy!