Mini Strawberry Tarts with Vanilla Cream
Mini Strawberry Tarts with Vanilla Cream are a beautiful and elegant sweet recipe for parties, birthdays, afternoon tea, dessert tables, or special family gatherings. They have a crisp pastry base, a smooth vanilla cream filling, and fresh strawberries arranged on top. The result is fresh, colorful, and delicate.
These mini tarts are perfect for serving at parties because they are already portioned individually and look very attractive on a platter.
The combination of buttery pastry, creamy vanilla custard, and sweet strawberries makes them simple but irresistible.
Mini Strawberry Tarts with Vanilla Cream
Ingredients
For the tart shells
- 1 sheet of shortcrust pastry
- Butter, for greasing the molds
- Flour, for dusting
For the vanilla cream
- 500 ml milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 100 g sugar
- 40 g cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Lemon peel, optional
For decoration
- 300 g fresh strawberries
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Fresh mint leaves, optional
- Clear glaze, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Grease small tartlet molds with butter and lightly dust them with flour. Roll out the shortcrust pastry and cut circles large enough to fit each mold.
Place the pastry circles into the molds, pressing gently into the bottom and sides. Prick the bases with a fork to prevent them from puffing up too much during baking.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tart shells are golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
To make the vanilla cream, heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla extract and lemon peel, if using. Do not let it boil.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and creamy. Add the cornstarch and mix well.
Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the cream thickens.
Once the cream is smooth and thick, remove it from the heat. Transfer it to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the surface of the cream. This prevents a skin from forming. Let it cool completely.
When the tart shells and cream are cold, fill each shell with vanilla cream.
Wash and slice the strawberries. Arrange the strawberry slices on top of each tart in a circular pattern or flower shape.
For a shiny finish, brush the strawberries with a little clear glaze. Decorate with mint leaves and dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Serving Suggestion
Serve the mini tarts chilled on a large white platter. They pair beautifully with coffee, tea, lemonade, sparkling water, or a light dessert wine.
You can also use other fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, or peach.
Conclusion
Mini Strawberry Tarts with Vanilla Cream are fresh, elegant, and easy to serve. Their crisp pastry, soft vanilla cream, and juicy strawberries create a perfect balance of texture and flavor.
They are ideal for parties because they look beautiful, taste light and fresh, and can be prepared in advance. This is a simple but impressive dessert that always brings color and charm to the table.