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Mini Fruit Tart Recipe

This Shortbread Mini Fruit Tart Recipe is filled with homemade custard, fresh berries, and an apricot glaze. This is an easy and elegant dessert that everyone loves. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 14
Calories 277kcal
Author Dina

Ingredients

For the shortbread crust

For the vanilla custard

Berries and fruit glaze

  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves jam works too
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Using a handheld mixer, beat together the egg, sugar, and mayonnaise in a large bowl. The mayonnaise sounds weird but its my moms old trick to get the most tender shortbread crust! Trust me its so good!
  • Now add the butter, cornstarch, and baking soda. Squeeze the lemon juice over the baking soda so all of it turns into foam. Then, blend everything with a handheld mixer until well combined.
  • Add the flour to the egg and butter mixture and blend on low speed. At this point the dough will become more dense, so it might be easier to just blend it together with your hands.
  • Once the dough is well combined, form it into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Then refrigerate for 1 hour.
    Steps to make Mini Fruit Tarts: beat the egg, mayo, and sugar together, then add the cornstarch, lemon juice, butter, and baking soda, then mix in the flour, form into a ball, and refrigerate.
  • Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a handheld mixer just until combined. Then mix in the flour.
  • Pour 2 cups of milk into a saucepan and bring it to a slight boil (just until bubbles begin to form).
  • Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while stirring constantly. Make sure you pour very slowly so that the hot milk doesn't cook the eggs.
  • Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the milk and egg mixture back into the saucepan to get rid of any clumps.
    Steps to make Mini Fruit Tarts: make the custard by beating the egg yolks, sugar, and flour together, then adding boiled milk, and finally straining.
  • Place the saucepan back onto the stove and heat it over low heat while stirring constantly. Once it begins to thicken, pour the vanilla in while stirring. You literally don't want to stop stirring or else the custard will become clumpy. Remove the custard from the heat once it's reached a thick and creamy custard consistency.
  • To prevent the custard from forming a skin, place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard, not just on-top of the bowl. Set it aside and let it cool down to room temperature.
    Steps to make Mini Fruit Tarts: thicken the custard and add vanilla extract, then let it cool.
  • Scoop out 2 tbsp of the chilled dough into each tartlet tin and press the dough with your fingers so that it reaches all the way up the sides of the tin.
  • Place the tartlets onto a baking sheet and bake for 13 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Baking time may vary depending on the oven.
  • Using a cookie scoop, place a dollop of the custard into each tartlets shell.
    Steps to make Mini Fruit Tarts: form the tart shells with your fingers in a mold, then fill them with custard.
  • Combine the apricot preserves and water in a small dish and microwave for about 20 seconds then press it through a mini mesh strainer to get rid of any chunks.
  • Arrange the berries onto the custard filled tartlets however you desire and brush with the glaze using a pastry brush.
    Steps to make Mini Fruit Tarts: add the strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries to the tarts, then brush them with apricot preserves.

Notes

You can make the the tart shell, custard, and glaze a day in advance. Just don't fill them or put fresh berries too far in advance. They taste best when served fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 8.2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.3mg