Sweet Summer Fruit Tarts

Late summer fruits are always sweeter as they’ve soaked up all the summer sun and are extra ripe and juicy. I always find the last few weeks of summer are always the sweetest and best too. I try to cram in as many sunny evening walks, barbecues and make as many memories before autumn arrives and the days get shorter. These tarts are delicate, crisp and the perfect dessert to savor those last few summer days. They’re easy to make and a great way to show off sun-ripened stone fruits and berries. If you are short on time, you could simply fill them with cream and fruit, but if you have a little time, a custardy light pastry cream is always worth the effort. So, if you have a glut of delicious fruit on your hands, and fancy a small but perfect treat, these tarts are just what you need.

Ingredients

Pastry cases

• 190g all-purpose flour
• 110g salted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons cold milk / water

Filling

• Pastry Cream from The Kitchn
• Summer fruits of your choice, washed and sliced

Method

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 180 C / 350 F.
2. Grease six 4″ round tart tins with a little butter.
3. Sieve the flour into a large bowl.
4. Add the butter cubes and rub the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs.
5. Add the sugar and mix together with a spoon.
6. Add the milk a little at a time. You just need enough to bring the pastry into a loose dough.
7. Bring the pastry together with a fork, then take the pastry dough into your hands and wrap it in cling wrap.
8. Place it in the fridge and leave it rest for at least thirty minutes.
9. Once chilled, roll the pastry out on a floured surface.
10. Line the tartlet tins with the pastry.
11. Flatten out six paper cupcake liners and lay them on top of the pastry in each tartlet tin.
12. Put some baking beads/ rice on top of the cupcake liners.
13. Bake the pastry in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until golden.
14. Remove the baking beads and cupcake liners, and cook the pastry cases in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
15. Once cooked, allow to cool on a wire rack.
16. While the pastry cases are cooling, make the pastry cream. I use the recipe from the Kitchn – it makes a little more than you actually need, but believe me, you will find a way to use it up 🙂
17. When the tarts have cooled, spoon the pastry cream into the tartlet shells and fill with your favorite fruit.