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Mini mixed berry tarts with a homemade flaky pie crust, a sweet and tangy berry filling thickened with cornstarch, and topped with a bright and fluffy lemon curd whipped cream.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (for berry filling, adjust to taste)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for berry filling)
  • 2 to 3 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (for berry filling)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: additional sugar for lemon curd mixture
  • Optional garnish: fresh berries

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  2. Cut in 1 cup cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Gradually add 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water, mixing gently until dough just holds together when pressed.
  4. Divide dough into two disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  6. Lightly flour a clean countertop and roll out one of the dough disks to about 1/8-inch thickness.
  7. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from the dough; re-roll scraps as needed.
  8. Press each dough circle gently into the wells of an ungreased muffin tin to form tart shells.
  9. In a bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch together; toss with the mixed berries and lemon juice until evenly coated.
  10. If using frozen berries, thaw and drain excess liquid, and add extra cornstarch if needed to prevent sogginess.
  11. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the berry filling into each tart shell, spreading fruit evenly.
  12. Place the muffin tin on the lower oven rack and bake for 24 to 26 minutes, until crusts are golden and filling is bubbling.
  13. Allow tarts to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  14. In a mixing bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream with a mixer until soft peaks form.
  15. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup lemon curd, vanilla extract, and a small amount of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture.
  16. Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the lemon curd mixture until smooth and fluffy.
  17. Spoon the lemon curd whipped topping generously over each cooled tart. Garnish with fresh berries if desired.
  18. Chill the assembled tarts until ready to serve.

Notes

You can use premade tartlet shells or refrigerated pie dough as a shortcut., Make dough and lemon curd topping up to two days in advance., Add whipped cream topping just before serving to keep it fresh., For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with coconut oil and heavy cream with whipped coconut cream., Baking on the lower rack helps crisp the tart bottoms., Blind baking tart shells before filling can reduce sogginess., Tarts can be frozen without topping for 1-2 months; thaw before adding topping., Variation ideas: single-berry tarts, mascarpone or cream cheese topping, almond extract or sliced almonds, gluten-free dough, or larger tart pans.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/berry-tarts/