Fruit tarts

Sweet Pastry Crust:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Pastry Cream:

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk (whole or 2%)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons (20 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/2 cup (120 grams) apricot jam or preserves
1 tablespoon water

Topping:

3 cups (720 ml) fruit (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, bananas, plums, pineapple, melon, etc.)

Method:

Sweet Pastry Crust:
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Place the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Flatten the pastry into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or just until firm (can place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes.)
Meanwhile lightly spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, 36 miniature muffin tins Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) Roll out dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Cut into rounds. Place inside mini muffin tins. Prick the bottom with fork to prevent puffing. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until firm and golden brown

Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together. (Do let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.)

Sift the flour and corn flour together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the milk to a boil (just until milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.)

Then pour the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, whisk mixture constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and immediately Stir in vanilla extract.Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.

Cool, then refrigerate until time to stuff pastry shells, then top with fruit garnish. To glaze, melt about 2 tbs apricot preserves with a tbs of water on the stove top and gently brush onto fruit.

serves about 6-8.