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Strawberry Cream Tarts

Anna Olson
Recipe makes 1.5 cups vanilla pastry cream, 24-30 mini tarts
Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Vanilla pastry cream

  • 1 cup milk ( whole milk is better, 10% cream also works )
  • 1/2 bean vanilla, or 1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 3 large egg yolks ( room temp )
  • 3 tbsp sugar ( allulose for keto is better than erythritol )
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Tarts

  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 30 ish fresh strawberries, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise

Instructions
 

Vanilla pastry cream

  • Heat milk with scraped vanilla until just below a simmer.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Ready a bowl with the butter, placing a strainer on top of it.
  • Gradually whisk the hot milk into egg mixture and then return it all to the pot. Whisk this constantly (switching to a spatula now and again, to get into the corners) over medium heat until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes. Pour this immediately through the strainer, whisking it through if needed, and stir in the butter. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the custard, cool to room temperature and then chill completely until ready to use.
  • Will keep up to 3 days refrigerated, makes about 1.5 cups.

Tarts

  • For crust, preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease mini muffin tins.
  • Combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until an even crumbly texture.
  • Spoon about a tablespoonful of the mixture into each muffin cup and press it into the bottom and up the sides.
  • Bake these for 10 minutes, then cool before assembling.

Assembly

  • Use a skewer to gently remove each tart shell from the tin
  • Stir the vanilla pastry cream to soften and then spoon or pipe the filling into each cup and then arrange a strawberry on top of each.
  • Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

The tart shells and pastry cream can be prepared up to a day in advance, but should be assembled within a few hours of serving.