1️⃣ Start by making the tart dough. In a food processor, add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt, and mix until combined. 🥄

2️⃣ Add the cold cubed butter, and blend until there are pea-sized pieces of butter. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do it by hand, mixing the cold butter into the flour mixture. Make sure that your hands are cold. ❄️

3️⃣ Then, add the egg, and the vanilla extract and mix until a dough forms. Try not to overmix the dough. 🥚

4️⃣ Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour. 🕒

5️⃣ Transfer the dough onto a clean floured surface and roll it with a rolling pin into a rectangle. 📏

6️⃣ Use a cookie cutter or a round bowl (1 inch larger than the mini tart pans) and cut small rounds of the pastry. 🍪

7️⃣ Place the pastry inside the mini tart pans and press it down using your clean hands. ✋

8️⃣ Cut off the extra edges. Make holes in the bottom of the pan with a fork and place them in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. 🍴❄️

9️⃣ Bake in a 180°C (350°F) preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown color. Remove from the oven and let it cool while making the filling. 🔥

🔟 Make the pastry cream: Place a saucepan over high heat and fill it with the milk and vanilla extract. Let it simmer, and remove it from the heat. Scoop ¼ cup of the milk and set aside. 🥄

1️⃣1️⃣ In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar and cornstarch. Mix with a whisk until combined. Add the egg yolks and mix. 🥄

1️⃣2️⃣ Gradually add the ¼ cup of milk and mix constantly with a whisk. This step is used to temper the egg yolks and avoid them from cooking too fast. 🥛

1️⃣3️⃣ Move the saucepan with the milk to the stovetop over low heat and add the egg yolk mixture into the milk, mixing constantly with a whisk. 🔥

1️⃣4️⃣ Mix over medium-low heat and mix constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Don’t increase the heat, be patient it will be worth it! 🌡️

1️⃣5️⃣ Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap tightly. Place the bowl in the fridge. Allow it to set and cool for a few hours. ❄️

1️⃣6️⃣ Now it’s time to assemble the tarts! Transfer the pastry cream into a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe the custard inside the mini tart shells, and top the cream with washed and dried berries or fruit of your choice. 🍰

1️⃣7️⃣ Optional: Make a simple glaze by mixing 1 tablespoon of apricot jam with ½ teaspoon of water and brush the fruit with the glaze. 🍑

Enjoy your delicious Mini Fruit Tarts with Pastry Cream! 🍓🫐🍰