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7
March
Summer Berry Tartlets
Here is a dessert is not only simple, but a lot of it can be prepared well in advance, and put together quickly prior to serving. The pastry shells can be made well in advance and frozen. The chocolate applied and filled with pastry cream the night before, then top with fresh fruit just prior to serving. You could even scale the size of tartlets up to one huge one, or down to small bite size versions. However, this recipe is for 6 tartlets using 10cm/4″ tins.
The topping can be any fruit of your choice, but here I have used summer berries – blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Summer Berry Tarts
Print recipe
Ingredients
Pastry
- 150g Plain Flour
- 40g Icing Sugar
- 65g Unsalted Butter (cold and cubed)
- 1 Medium Free-range Egg
- Milk (if required)
- 100g White Chocolate
Pastry Cream
- 300ml Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 50g Caster Sugar
- 3 Large Free-range Egg Yolks
- 15g Plain Flour
- 15g Cornflour
Topping
- 300g Mixed Fresh Berries
- Icing Sugar (for dusting)
Directions
| 1. | To make the pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar together into a large mixing bowl |
| 2. | Cut in or rub in the cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs |
| 3. | Lightly beat the egg, then stir into the mixture just until it forms a smooth dough. If the mixture is still a little dry, add some milk a teaspoon at a time just until it pulls together |
| 4. | Press the dough into a flat disc and wrap in cling film then chill in the fridge for at least an hour |
| 5. | Heat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F. Lightly grease six loose-bottomed small (10cm/4") tartlet tins |
| 6. | Roll out the pastry until it is about a few millimetres thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 6 pieces |
| 7. | Place the pastry over the tartlet tin, and gently press into the tin. Gently run your rolling pin over the top to cut off the excess pastry. Repeat for all six |
| 8. | Dock the bottom of the pastry with a fork, line with a small piece of foil and fill with baking beans |
| 9. | Blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, then place back in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the edges just start to colour and the pastry is cooked |
| 10. | Allow the pastry shells to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to fully cool |
| 11. | Melt the white chocolate gently in a heat proof dish over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, use a pastry brush to paint a layer of chocolate over the inside of the cooled pastry shells |
| 12. | While the chocolate sets, prepare the pastry cream. Place the milk and vanilla extract in a pan over a medium heat until it is just boiled |
| 13. | While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale. Sift in the flour and cornflour and mix into a smooth paste |
| 14. | Add a little of the hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk quickly. Repeat with another addition of hot milk, whisking immediately until fully combined |
| 15. | Add the tempered eggs to the milk and place back in the heat. Heat for another 30 seconds or 1 minute whisking constantly until the mixture starts to thicken |
| 16. | Take off the heat and place the pastry cream in a clean bowl. Cover with cling film touching the surface to prevent a skin forming, then place in a larger bowl with iced water to cool it as quickly as possible |
| 17. | Once the pastry cream is fully cooled, whisk to soften a little, then add into a piping bag with a large round nozzle |
| 18. | Starting on the outside, pipe in a decreasing circle until the base of the tartlet is completely covered. Repeat for the other five tartlets |
| 19. | Top with berries of your choice, then dust with a little icing sugar and serve |
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