SUMMERY FRUIT TARTS

A twist on regular fruit tarts – the crust is actually a cookie!

INGREDIENTS:

• Refrigerated cookie dough
• 4 Egg Yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• pinch of Salt
• 2 cups Milk, whole milk is best
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Desired Fruit
• Fresh Mint Leaves
• Confectioner's sugar, for dusting, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Place the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a pot and set to medium heat. Slowly add, to avoid lumps, the milk while whisking. Cook until it begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes.
2. Slowly pour 1/3 of the mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper your eggs. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot and whisk until the pastry cream comes to a boil and thickens about 2-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
3. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours. If the cream is too thick or lumpy after refrigerating, microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute, then place it in a blender and pulse a few times until smooth.
4. Roll the cookie dough out on a floured surface until it’s 1/8 inch thick. Cut out circles with an 11 cm round cookie cutter. Press them into the bottom and sides of a regular-sized muffin tin. Place the muffin tin in the freezer for 15 minutes for the dough to stiffen.
5. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, until the edges are golden. Allow the tarts to fully cool in the pan, then gently remove them from the tin with the edge of a butter knife.
6. Fill the tart shells with the pastry cream and top with your desired fruit and sprigs of fresh mint.
7. If you like, dust some confectioner’s sugar on top to make them extra pretty. Enjoy! 

The Domestic Curator

Ronda