{"id":7826,"date":"2020-06-07T15:55:09","date_gmt":"2020-06-07T22:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hungryhuy.com\/?p=7826"},"modified":"2021-07-17T18:29:11","modified_gmt":"2021-07-18T01:29:11","slug":"mini-fruit-tarts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hungryhuy.com\/mini-fruit-tarts\/","title":{"rendered":"Mini Fruit Tarts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fresh fruit slices and a sweet custard filling on top of a bite-sized cookie shell–these mini fruit tarts aren\u2019t just beautiful, they\u2019re delicious and refreshing. Growing up (and even now), fruit tarts were a big staple for birthday parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it\u2019s because the use of fruit on top of sugary custard gave some semblance of a healthier treat, at least more so than frosting and cake, but nevertheless, it was a delicious option. With this mini fruit tart recipe I can prep tarts ahead of time and make up any excuse to celebrate at home!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tarts vs. pies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now don\u2019t get these mini tarts mixed up with pies because they\u2019re totally different foods. While both tarts and pies can have sweet or savory fillings, they differ in their crust. Pies have a crust that is thicker, flakier, and firmer–you add lots of fat to this crust. Tarts are made with delicate, shortbread-like shells that are baked ahead of time and then assembled with the desired fillings, like fresh fruit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These fruit tarts also differ from egg tarts<\/a> that are popular in Asian bakeries and dim sum restaurants because the egg tarts have a flakier crust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tart dough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tarts have a basic assembly of a shell and a filling. The beauty of tarts and mini tarts is that you can often prepare either of these items ahead of time, and this recipe is no different. To make the mini tart dough, you need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and butter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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final texture after mixing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once these are combined, add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and mix until combined. The mixture should have a sandy texture and almost look too dry. Test the dough by pinching some of the sand in between your fingers. If it forms a dough, then it\u2019s ready. If it\u2019s too dry, you can add one tablespoon of heavy cream until it forms a dough.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and use your hands to form it into a ball of dough. It should hold its shape, but is also pliable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tart molds and baking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the mini tart shells, there are traditional tart shaped molds you can use (those that have scalloped edges, you know what I\u2019m talking about). I\u2019m using four inch tart molds to make this recipe. But not everyone has an option for these specific molds at home, so you can use cupcake tins, just make sure you need to adjust the amount of dough per mold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I like to add the dough into the tart mold;, I scoop three tablespoons or 60 grams of dough and place directly into the tart molds. Use your fingers to press the dough evenly throughout the mold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all the dough is in the molds, use a fork to poke the bottom of each tart. This will prevent the middle from puffing too much. Place the molds in the freezer and chill for at least one hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Preheat your oven to 375 \u00b0F and then place your mini tart molds in the oven. Bake these for 12-15 minutes. At about eight minutes, check the tart shells to see if the centers are rising. If they are rising, you can use a measuring cup to slightly press them back down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way to prevent the centers from rising in the oven is blind baking. You can blind bake these tarts by placing parchment paper on top of the shell and adding dry beans over the center section of the parchment paper. I don\u2019t prefer the blind baking option because it was harder to gauge the edges browning due to the parchment paper and I found I needed to bake them slightly longer to get a harder crust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The tart shells should be done baking once the edges begin to slightly brown. Carefully remove them from the molds and rest the tarts on a cooling rack. If you make these a day ahead of time, you can place them in an airtight container in the fridge until you need to assemble. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Custard filling <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fruit tarts typically have a traditional custard filling that is thick and eggy to hold up the fruit on top. I like to adjust the texture and amp up the flavor by making it a bit lighter by adding whipped cream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Then sift the flour and cornstarch into this mixture and combine thoroughly. Whisk the milk and vanilla into the bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the filling and continue to whisk thoroughly. The filling will begin to heat and thicken sporadically in the pan, so you need to whisk it constantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Constantly whisk the liquid, so that the custard forms gradually over a few minutes. You don\u2019t want to make scrambled eggs. While many cooks will say it will boil, I didn\u2019t experience this and immediately saw thickening occur in my pan (if you tilt your pan, you may see little globs of opaque spots at the bottom of the pan). I would suggest constantly whisking and moving your pan away from the stove if you think it\u2019s heating up too fast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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consistency of the finished custard filling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Your custard should have a similar consistency as thick pudding by the time it\u2019s finished cooking. This process is also dependent on the strength of your stove, but from start to finish this process took about one to two minutes. Once your custard is finished, place it to cool in a glass container on the counter and then fridge until assembly so it\u2019s nice and thick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to choose fruit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What I love about mini fruit tarts is that they are cute, but also beautiful because of the amazing colors from the fruit arrangements. My favorite ripe fruits to pick are strawberries, blackberries, and kiwis! This part of the fruit tarts are completely customizable and you can choose whatever fruit you like. Just make sure to slice the larger fruit into smaller pieces for easier assembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fruit glaze <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever seen fruit tarts sold in stores and notice they have this beautiful clear sheen to them? Make no mistake, that sheen is definitely more than just moisture! It\u2019s actually a glaze that not only makes them pretty, but it helps keep the fruit from drying out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"apricot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For my glaze, I use one part apricot (or other light-colored) jelly and one part water. You want to microwave this mixture for about ten seconds and then stir together. Strain the mixture to get a smooth texture and then brush the glaze on top of the fruit. One tip that I got from Joy of Baking<\/a> is to use the glaze on the bottom of the tart shell to prevent it from sogging when you add the filling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to assemble<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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When you are ready to eat delicious mini fruit tarts, assembly is the easiest and funnest part! To add your filling into your tarts, you can put the filling into a pastry bag and carefully arrange it this way, but I prefer using a spoon to scoop it in. Fill to about \u00be of the way up to allow room for your fruit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, arrange your fruit on top of the whipped custard filling and brush on some of our nice and sparkly glaze. You can serve your fruit tart immediately, but you can also chill it in the fridge for about twenty minutes to eat them with a nice cool temperature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Can fruit tarts be made ahead of time?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fruit tart shells and fillings can be made ahead of time and then assembled before serving. You can keep the shells and fillings in the fridge before assembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you keep fruit tarts from getting soggy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Use the glaze topping to prep your tart shells before assembling. The glaze will act as a sort of shellac to prevent soggy bottoms!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mini Fruit Tarts<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t