The combination of crisp pastry, luscious pastry cream and summer fruits makes these mixed fruit tartlets a lovely summer dessert.
Pastry
Ingredients
250g (1 2/3 cup) plain flour, sifted
80g (1/2 cup) icing sugar
125g (1/2 block) chilled Fairy margarine, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons cold water
Method
Combine flour, icing sugar and Fairy in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and sufficient water until pastry comes together
Knead lightly on a board, divide into 6 pieces and pat each piece into a round flat shape. Wrap in baking paper and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest
Roll a piece of dough on a floured board into a circle and line six 8cm fluted tart tin. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces
Line each case with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Rest in refrigerator for another 20 minutes
Preheat oven to 200°C
Blind bake pastry for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans or rice, reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool
Pastry Cream
Ingredients
500ml (2 cups) milk
6 egg yolks
110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
50g (1/3 cup) corn flour, sifted
125ml (1/2 cup) cream
Method
Bring the milk to the boil in a heavy based saucepan
In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, corn flour and vanilla together
Pour milk over the yolks and whisk together, return to the saucepan. Whisk continuously and cook over a medium until the mixture thickens
Pass through a coarse strainer if there are lumps. Place a piece of baking paper on top to prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool
Beat cream until soft peaks form and stir through the pastry cream. You may need to re whip the pastry cream if it has set too hard before stirring through the cream
Assembly
Ingredients
Berries, cherries, stone fruit
Raspberry jam, warmed
Method
Fill each tartlet with pastry cream and decorate with the fruit
