Mini Strawberry Tarts

These Mini Strawberry Tarts are a simple but delicious sweet treat that will make you look like a pro with a pastry from scratch. The delicate pastry holds a creamy filling with strawberries on top to bring extra freshness and sweetness!

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY:
110 grams butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cup flour

1 cup milk
1 Tbs cornstarch
5 tsp sugar
2 egg yolks
1 vanilla pod, seeds and pod seperated (optional)
2 Tbs lemon juice
24 strawberries

METHOD

1. Whish together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time and continue whisking, then add vanilla. Gradually sift in flour until dough is formed. 
2. Form the dough into a ball and flatten onto a plate, cover and refrigerate for 40 minutes or until hard. Once dough is ready, preheat oven to 180°C and grease or spray a 24 cup mini muffin tray. 
3. While waiting, combine milk, cornstarch, sugar, yolks vanilla seeds and pods in a saucepan with heat off. Once combined, turn up heat to medium and stir until it thickens. Immediately after it thickens, remove from heat to avoid it from burning. Either cool in ice bath for 30 minutes or transfer mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour or until cooled. 
4. Flour bench and roll out dough until about 3mm thick. Cut out 24 circles about 6.5cm wide. If you don't have a cutter, try find a jar or container about 6.5cm wide and cut around it. Gently press each round into each cup of muffin tray then freezetray for 10 minutes.
5. Remove muffin tray from freezer and pierce each cup with a fork a few times. Cover pastry with baking beads or rice and bake for 20 minutes, then remove beads and bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden. 
6. Use a sharp knife to gently take out the pastries, gently loosening the edges first. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely before assembling tarts. Wash, hull and slice strawberries. 
7. To assemble tarts, pipe or scoop filling into tart shells and place strawberries on top. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and fresh fruit or ice cream.