Fruit tartlets

Fruit tartlets

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
• 200 g plain flour
• 100 g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 3-4 tbsp cold water
Creme patisserie
• 300 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks (free range)
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
Tartlets
• Mixed fruits of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, grapes, etc.)

Method

Pastry
• Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the butter.
• Rub the butter into the flour with your hand, until it starts looking like breadcrumbs, work quickly to prevent the the dough becoming warm.
• Add the water slowly to the pastry and mix with a cold knife until it sat rats forming a dough, you can add more water if the pastry is too dry.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and put into a fridge for 30 minutes.
• Roll it out with a rolling pin.
Creme patisserie
• Warm the milk in a small saucepan (enough to steam).
• In a large bowl whisk the yolks and sugar, when smooth add the flour, combine together.
• Add the warm milk (slowly) to the mixture. Whisk continuously.
• Put the mixture back into the saucepan, gently bring to boil whisking continuosly until thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Tartlets
• Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan assisted).
• Line the pastry in your mini tart tins, prick the base with a fork , put it into the oven and blind-bake it for 12 minutes (to blind-bake it, cover the pastry with baking paper and fill it with baking beans).
• Remove the beans and the paper, bake for another 12 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
• When baked remove from the oven and put on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Fill the bases with creme patisserie, smooth the surface out with a spoon.
• Arrange your selection of fresh, sliced fruits on top, serve.