Classic Berries and Cream Tartlets

All you need is one formula to produce a nearly infinite variety of French-style fruit tarts. Start with a pâte sucrée crust, add pastry cream, and top with fresh fruit. You can scatter the fruit freehand, or arrange it in a pattern to make a tarte composée (literally, a “composed tart”). Here, summer berries are mixed and matched, but you can also use stone fruits such as cherries or apricots, or fresh figs or grapes. Pâte sucrée is sturdier than pâte brisée, making it a good choice for tarts that are unmolded before serving. Because the filling is not baked in the crust, it is necessary to blind-bake the shells completely. Traditionally, French fruit tarts are glazed with jam for a polished sheen, but this step is optional; a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar or a few tiny flowering herbs look equally lovely. To make a nine-inch tart, use half a recipe of Pâte Sucrée, and add about five minutes to the baking time.

MAKES TWO DOZEN 3-INCH TARTS

Ingredients:
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Pâte Sucrée
• Vanilla Pastry Cream
• 4 cups mixed fresh berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, red currants, or sliced strawberries
• ½ cup apricot jam (optional)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough ⅛ inch thick, 1 disk at a time. Cut out twenty-four 4-inch rounds, and fit dough into two dozen 3-inch tart pans. Trim dough flush with rims. Pierce bottoms of shells all over with a fork. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Line tart shells with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; continue baking until crusts are golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Fill tart shells halfway with pastry cream and top with berries, arranging in concentric circles. If desired, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat apricot jam until loose, then pass through a fine sieve. Gently brush berries with strained jam. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

This Classic recipe was published in 'Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts: 150 Recipes for Old-Fashioned and Modern Favorites by Martha Stewart Living Magazine'.