Mini fruit tartlets are the one sweet thing I’m happy to see on the three-tiered stand at afternoon tea. You know I’m all about the sandwiches and scones at tea, but I’m not averse to a well-made mini fruit tartlet or two.
They’re the perfect little dessert to bring out to cap off any kind of “finger foods” occasion. They always get rave reviews. One group declared my little tarts “bakery quality, no, even better than bakery quality!”
They’re quick and easy to assemble on the day you want to serve them if you make your pastry and pastry cream a day or two ahead. You can even bake the pastry shells ahead and store at room temperature in an airtight container.
I can bake a double batch at one time because I have two pans, but my newest tartelette pan is vastly superior. It’s the Nordic Ware heavy cast aluminum tartelette pan which bakes very evenly and makes very sharp fluting.
If you’re a fan of individual-serving and mini foods, I know you’ll enjoy making, and eating, these little tartlets. What kind of fruits will you use?
Mini Fruit Tartlets – Tartelettes aux Fruits
(Makes 12 2.5-inch/6.35 cm mini tarts)
The Pastry Cream - Crème Pâtissière
(Makes about 1 1/4 cups)1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) milk
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
1/4 cup (1.25 ounces/grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/16 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk (white reserved for pastry)1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Pastry - Pâte Sucrée
1 dip-and-sweep cup (5 ounces/142 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 packed cup (0.5 ounce/14 grams) unsifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg white (yolk used in pastry cream)
The Fruit and Glaze
About 1 1/2 cups assorted berries and sliced fruits such as kiwi
2 tablespoons jam plus 2 teaspoons water, melted and strained
1 In heavy-bottomed saucepan (I use the Le Creuset Stainless Steel 2-Quart Saucier), heat milk to just below a simmer. You'll see a skin forming and the milk wiggling under the surface.
2 In 1- to 1.5-quart mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in egg and yolk. Gradually whisk in the hot milk. Use an electric hand mixer if you like.
3 Pour the mixture back into the saucepan (or saucier) and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly (slowly at first, then speeding up as the custard thickens), until the custard gets very, very thick and holds the whisk marks. Pay close attention; if you get distracted for a second, you can end up with bits of scrambled egg in your custard.
4 Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla extract. If you have any lumps of egg, place a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl, and press pastry cream through it to ensure a perfectly smooth custard. Cover surface of custard with a round of parchment paper cut to fit the bowl. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill.
5 Add flour, powdered sugar and salt to work bowl of food processor; turn on for about 3 or 4 seconds to combine. Add chunks of butter; pulse to a crumb texture. Add egg; pulse until the dough starts clumping together. This is to be a crisp, more cookie-like crust, rather than a flaky pastry; so there's not quite the concern about over-processing. Flatten slightly into a 4- to 6-inch round disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
6 Prepare a 12-well tartelette pan by brushing each well with very soft butter. On lightly floured surface or square of parchment paper, roll out the pastry to about a 10-inch/25.5 cm square; pastry should be very thin, about 1/8-inch thick. With a 3-inch/7.5 cm cutter, cut out 9 circles; reroll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut out 3 circles. Fit the pastry circles firmly into the tin, but do not stretch the dough. With a fork, poke holes all over bottom of the pastry. Place in freezer for 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 400F/205C/Gas6.
7 Bake tart shells until light golden brown, about 12 to 13 minutes (though it might be different for your oven, your pan, etc). Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before taking pastry shells out to continue cooling on wire rack.
7 Bake tart shells until light golden brown, about 12 to 13 minutes (though it might be different for your oven, your pan, etc). Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before taking pastry shells out to continue cooling on wire rack.
8 To assemble tartelettes, whisk the pastry cream to loosen it. Fill each completely cooled pastry shell with a tablespoon or so of pastry cream. Smooth the tops. Place fruit on top. Brush with melted jam glaze. Keep refrigerated until serving time.
Jean
Very nice Jean. You mention a three tier stand. The last time I partook of tiny culinary delights from a three tier stand was in The Pump Room in Bath, next to the Abbey. The very room that Jane Austen and more than a few of her characters had afternoon tea. Catherine Moreland and Henry Tilley first met in The Pump Room, probably both partaking of delights from their very own three tier stands.The Pump Room is probably the most famous tea room’ in the world. Not meaning to boast or anything!!!!
ReplyDeleteTony, thank you, and boast away! I would love to have afternoon teat The Pump Room. I would have them skip the salmon mousse and toast savoury and give me an extra egg and cress sandwich in its stead.
ReplyDeleteYour tartelettes are just adorable, Jean! I'd probably put raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries on mine. The pan really did make the perfect size for a mini dessert.
ReplyDeleteOh these look fantastic, Jean. I adore a good fruit tart!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kitty! Yes, I love them with raspberries and sliced strawberries as well. But that day those berries didn't look very good, so I went with the kiwis.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, thank you! A good fruit tart is hard to beat.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to check out those tart pans! These mini tarts are spectacular!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz! You definitely need one of those pans!
ReplyDeleteYUM! Looks tasty! Thanks so much Jean for linking up with us at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 32! Shared ♥
ReplyDeleteWell, I’ve had my lawyers look over your recipe, and they say there is no enforceable contract language that requires those green pansy things (I thought kiwis were little Australian animals) to be embedded in the custard so, I’m declaring a trade negotiation. Lemme substitute black cherries for the green pansies, and I’ll rush down to my kitchen immediately and start banging pots and pans around. As always, you have made even the green pansies look superb.
ReplyDeleteLooks great, Jean. I like the creative designs involving kiwi and blueberries.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit.
Thanks, Dee! Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Margie! Two of my favorite fruits.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sully! And feel free to substitute black cherries--love them! In fact, I'm putting some in a clafoutis tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThose look absolutely delicious, Jean. AND they are pretty to boot! I love things like this. I hope you have a great night-xo Diana
ReplyDeleteDiana, thank you! You have to go for pretty, too, when it's for afternoon tea!
ReplyDeleteThese fruit tartlets look so gorgeous with that shiny glaze! Well done, Jean.
ReplyDeleteThese are so beautiful, Jean! Like little stained glass windows! I just saved this and am especially glad for both the Crème Patisserie and the Pâte Sucrée!
ReplyDeleteMouthwatering!!!Stunning dish too!Have a lovely weekend,dear Jean!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Angie. I've sometimes skipped the glaze, but the glaze looks much better!
ReplyDeleteDavid, thanks so much. I hope you'll like them.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maristella. I especially like them with raspberries.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! They look like art work, almost to beautiful to eat.
ReplyDeleteI will certainly be making these and serving them at one of my tea parties.
Thank you for always sharing your goodness with us Jean.
Have a delightful day~
Hi Jean, great site and more importantly a great post. We're having a birthday gathering next weekend and I'm tasked with cooking for 24 hungry people. It's all going to be finger food, but I've been struggling over dessert. Not anymore, you just finished out my menu with your post. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLovely little works of art!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Debbie! I made these for a tea party last Saturday, then went out for afternoon tea on Thursday, so I've had a delightful week!
ReplyDeleteRon, I'm glad! That makes me so happy! Hope they're a hit.
ReplyDeleteEllen, thanks. It's so much more fun to make little pretty things than do day-to-day meals.
ReplyDeleteI agree, little tarts are perfect sitting on a tiered plate stand for tea. I always use blueberries. Sometimes raspberries and strawberries too but the strawberries I would slice into a little fan. They are just a pretty little dessert. Have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Sandi. I baked an extra batch of the tart shells to freeze, so maybe I'll make these again next week.
ReplyDeleteLooks just delish! Little tarts are so pretty! I haven't made any in ages and not the crust. I'll have to give these a try.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeanie! I hope you will. You won't have any trouble!
ReplyDeleteThese look both beautiful and delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Amy!
ReplyDeleteThese tartlets look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeff!
ReplyDeleteDang, these look soooo delicious! The fruit you used looks great and I'd also like to try strawberry. It won't be long now before they start showing up at the farmer's market!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Richard. Yes, I love them with sliced or diced strawberries and can't wait till the season starts!
ReplyDeleteI love little treats like this, especially if they have all that wonderful fresh fruit. Gerlinde
ReplyDeleteFruit desserts are my favorite, Gerlinde!
ReplyDeleteYour Mini Fruit Tartlets look so pretty and thanks so much for sharing them with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great week and come back soon!
ReplyDeleteMiz Helen
Thanks so much, Miz Helen!
ReplyDeleteOMG ..These look TOO YUMMY... The fruit looks so fresh and funnily enough, I do not think these are very sweet ... so I will certainly ENJOY them...Thanks for the recipes...Hugs
ReplyDeleteThanks, Zaa. And you're right, they are not overly sweet. You know I don't like very sweet things. I often make these with just 3 tablespoons of sugar in the crème pat instead of 1/4 cup.
ReplyDeleteThose pretty things look wonderful ! Abs thank you for stopping by to visit . Made my night . Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteOh Jean, I just love how you detail your recipes and share such great tips! I too adore fruit tartlets, and these sound soo good, and not really that difficult to make. I will save this recipe for a summer tea party, they would be pure delight :) I don't like overly sweet things either, and these sound perfect! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Cindy!
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, thank you! I do love it when people appreciate the details--I like to give very clear directions so that people can make my recipes without any problems.
ReplyDeleteLovely little tartelettes and definitely most welcome for an afternoon tea. The last afternoon tea I had was a bit over the top with way too many chocolate delicacies. Delicious but really rich and I'd rather have some little fruit tartelettes.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Phil. Though chocolate was my favorite flavor growing up, one day in my late 20s I was suddenly over it. If there's more than one chocolate thing on my 3-tiered stand it's too much chocolate for me.
ReplyDeleteYummy! May well give these a go and you brought back fond memories of my late brother introducing us to kiwi fruit about 35 year ago now - thank you #TriumphantTales
ReplyDeleteKate, thank you so much. And for sharing your memories of your brother!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! And tasty. These look great -- I'd love to have several of these beauties in front of me right now. Although they wouldn't stay there for long. :-)
ReplyDeleteYum! I will pin this to try soon! perfect for a springtime snack!
ReplyDeleteMireille www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, John. I think two or three is about my limit!
ReplyDeleteMireille, thank you. I hope you will try them soon. Did you know you can edit your Blogger profile page to take someone who clicks on your name on a comment right to your blog? Then you don't need to type it into comments.
ReplyDeleteThey are almost too beautiful to eat, Jean! Thank you for sharing this on Traffic Jam Weekend.
ReplyDeleteKimberly, thanks so much! I can't wait to make another batch for a tea party I'm having in a few weeks!
ReplyDeleteKiwi fruits and blueberries are two of my favourite fruits …
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thanks, Jan. And their flavors and slight tartness are magical with the not-too-sweet vanilla pastry cream.
ReplyDeleteI must admit to not being a fan purely as they're too small hahaha
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us at #TriumphantTales. I hope to see you back next week.
Ha! Too funny, Lianne. But portion control is a good thing! :-)
ReplyDelete