Fruit Tartlets

Any mix of fruits will look attractive;

choose whatever is in season.

Chilling time

1 hr

Special equipment

8 x 4in (10cm) tartlet pans

Ingredients

11⁄3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

4 large egg yolks

1⁄3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

6 tbsp unsalted butter, diced,

plus extra for greasing

For the filling

11/2 cups milk

1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

5 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1lb 2oz (500g) mixed fresh fruit, such as kiwi fruit,

raspberries, grapes, peaches

1⁄3 cup apricot jam or red currant jelly, for glazing

Method

1 Sift the flour on to a work surface and

make a well in the center. Add the egg

yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla, and butter. Work

the ingredients in the well until thoroughly

mixed, then draw in the flour until coarse

crumbs form. Press the dough into a ball

and knead for 2 minutes, until smooth. Wrap

in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2 Bring the milk to a boil in a medium

saucepan with the split-open vanilla bean,

if using. Remove the pan from the heat,

cover, and let stand for 10-15 minutes. In a

bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar,

and flour. Whisk in the hot milk. Return the

mixture to the cleaned-out pan and cook

over low heat, whisking constantly, until

the flour has cooked and the cream is thick.

Simmer over low heat for 2 minutes.

3 Transfer the pastry cream to another bowl

and remove the vanilla bean if using, or stir

in the vanilla extract. Press plastic wrap

over the surface to prevent a skin from

forming. Let cool.

4 Grease the tartlet pans. Lightly flour

a work surface. Roll out the dough to 1⁄8in

(3mm) thick. Group the pans together, with

their edges nearly touching. Roll the dough

loosely around the rolling pin and drape

it over the pans so all are covered. Roll the

rolling pin over the tops of the pans to

remove excess dough. Press up the dough

edges to form a deep shell. Set the tartlet

pans on a baking sheet and prick the

dough with the fork. Chill for 30 minutes.

5 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line each tartlet shell with a piece of foil,

pressing it down well. Bake for 6-8 minutes,

then remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes

longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. When

cold, remove each shell from its pan.

6 Peel and slice the kiwi. Peel and slice

the peaches. Melt the jam or jelly with 2–3

tablespoons water in a saucepan. Work it

through a sieve. Brush the inside of each

tartlet shell with the glaze. Half fill each shell

with the cooled pastry cream, smoothing

the top with the back of a spoon. Arrange

the fruit on top and brush with the jam glaze.

STORE These will keep in an airtight

container in the refrigerator for 2 days.

BAKER’S TIP

Creme patissiere is one of the most useful

sweet recipes to master. Once you get the

hang of it, it is very impressive to serve.

For a lighter finish to the pastry cream, fold

about 3.fl oz (100ml) whipped heavy cream

into the cooled creme patissiere.