Little tart - use it as a vehicle for your favourite flavors!

I really love small treats, sweet or savory. They can easy satisfy any craving.
This time I decided to make little tarts, using an universal pie crust or tart recipe called pate brisee.
The dough is extremely easy to make and is so versatile!!!
Use it to make any tart, small or big, any pie sweet or savory, perfect as any kind of quiche base. Once baked the crust is flaky and light. Pre-baked is perfect for any kind of wet filling.
I used it to create small fruity baskets, filled with a classic pastry cream- creme patisserie, that again can be used in so many different desserts like: eclairs, donuts or even Napoleons.
This treat will be perfect for any party or for a romantic dinner dessert (you can prepare it in advance), or just like that because you deserve it!

you need:


rolling pin,
8-10 small tart tins or muffin tin,
food processor or bowl and knife,
mixer or bowl and whisk,
sauce pan,
plastic wrap,
aluminum foil,
little stones or beans or coins,
sifter,
pastry brush,
1 plastic bag or pastry piping bag

ingredients:


for the dough (pate brisse):
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons very cold butter (170 g)
1/2 cup very cold water

for the filling:
1,5 cup milk
3 large yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch or potato flour
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (can use lemon extract instead)
2 cups assorted berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries etc..)
1 tablespoon of any kind of jam or marmalade


In a sauce pan, heat up milk with vanilla bean or the extract, don't let it boil! In a bowl combine egg yolks with sugar, sift in cornstarch and flour, mix well. Once the milk gets to the stage, just before boiling, remove the vanilla, scrape the seeds inside the milk and start tempering you egg-starch mixture, by slowly adding milk inside and whisking it good together ( do it slowly, do not scramble your eggs! ). Next pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook it on a medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes very thick. Transfer it back into the bowl, cover the surface of the cream with the plastic wrap , that will prevent it from  forming a film on the top.

When its cool, put it to the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 1-2 hr. before using it. In the meantime you can start working on your dough.

Add flour, salt and sugar to a food processor and pulse until combine (use the one with blades attachment).

Add cold butter and pulse until big crumbs start creating. Next, drizzle cold water into the mixture (I add 1-2 ice cubes to the 1/2 cup of water, just to keep it nice and cold), dough should start forming. If it holds together you don't need to add all the water inside, try not to make the dough wet and sticky.
(If u don't have food processor, add salt, sugar and flour to a large bowl and mix it together. Add butter and with a knife cut the butter into flour, until crumbs starts forming. Add slowly cold water, use hands to press it together. Do not over-work the dough!)
You will have buttery chunks inside your dough, this is perfectly fine! Once dough is formed, wrap it in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

After 1hr. or so, when your dough is chilled nicely, roll it on a good floured surface. Make it about 1/2 inch thick (little less than 1 cm).
Use your rolling pin, to place the dough on the tart tins, next press it gently with your fingers inside the tins and trim the excess of the dough with the rolling pin.

(If you use the muffin tins, use a big drink glass to cut out the discs and place them inside the tin). Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C), get the little tarts ready for the pre-baking process, which is best for cold serving or liquidy fillings (pumpkin filling, quiche).
What you need to do is prevent the dough from forming bubbles on top and losing its shape, while pre-baking it. The best way is to cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and press it down with some weigh like beans, small stones or coins. (Remember to clean very good the stones or coins before using them. Try not to let them touch the dough itself)

Then insert into hot oven and keep it there for 15-20 min. For this recipe the crust is used cold, thats why I leave the tarts inside oven, uncovered on broil for 1-2 min. just to give them some color. If you plan to re-bake it with the filling inside you can skip the browning step. When your tarts are done, cool them and start filling them with delicious goodness!

Now your shells are ready, your pastry cream is chilled, time to wash and cut your berries! You can use almost any kind of fruits to make those colorful and tasty baskets, but berries are just perfect for the small size treats. Warm up the tablespoon of jam or marmalade in a microwave or on the stove until it is runny.

Transfer the pastry cream from the bowl to a plastic bag (the storage kind) snip the end corner with scissors, fill it up with the cream and you have a pro piping bag.

If you have a special pastry one, then feel free to use it. Pipe the cream inside your little tarts.

Next, garnish with berries and brush the berries with a warm jam, that will make them look beautiful and glossy also will prevent from darkening or drying out. Chill your little tarts before serving. They look as good as they taste!