
It should hold its shape, but is also pliable. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and use your hands to form it into a ball of dough. If it’s too dry, you can add one tablespoon of heavy cream until it forms a dough. Test the dough by pinching some of the sand in between your fingers. The mixture should have a sandy texture and almost look too dry. Once these are combined, add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and mix until combined. To make the mini tart dough, you need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and butter.

The beauty of tarts and mini tarts is that you can often prepare either of these items ahead of time, and this recipe is no different. Tarts have a basic assembly of a shell and a filling. These fruit tarts also differ from egg tarts that are popular in Asian bakeries and dim sum restaurants because the egg tarts have a flakier crust. Tarts are made with delicate, shortbread-like shells that are baked ahead of time and then assembled with the desired fillings, like fresh fruit. Pies have a crust that is thicker, flakier, and firmer–you add lots of fat to this crust. While both tarts and pies can have sweet or savory fillings, they differ in their crust. Now don’t get these mini tarts mixed up with pies because they’re totally different foods.

With this mini fruit tart recipe I can prep tarts ahead of time and make up any excuse to celebrate at home! Tarts vs. Maybe it’s because the use of fruit on top of sugary custard gave some semblance of a healthier treat, at least more so than frosting and cake, but nevertheless, it was a delicious option. Growing up (and even now), fruit tarts were a big staple for birthday parties.

Fresh fruit slices and a sweet custard filling on top of a bite-sized cookie shell–these mini fruit tarts aren’t just beautiful, they’re delicious and refreshing.
