Mini Wild Strawberry Tarts Barquettes De Fraises Des Bois Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is in the size of peas. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough and fit into 4 (4 1/2-inch) tart pans with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pans or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of each pan. Line the tart shells with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill them with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, prick the bottom of the shells all over with a fork, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
• Before serving, fill the tart shells with the pastry cream. Arrange the berries decoratively on top of the cream. Melt the apricot jelly with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the top of the tarts. Sprinkle with pistachios, if using, and serve.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.
• With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the custard comes to a boil and appears to curdle; switch to a whisk and beat vigorously. Cook, whisking constantly, for another 2 minutes; the custard will come together and become very thick, like pudding. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease mini muffin pans.
• Place cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour, one cup at a time, until all is incorporated. Roll dough into 70 small balls, and press each into a mini muffin pan cup to form the pastry crusts.
• Bake crusts in preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool.
• Stir gelatin, sugar, and food coloring into the boiling water. Place over high heat; bring back to a boil. Stir together cornstarch and water to make a paste. Stir the cornstarch mixture in the boiling gelatin until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon cooled gelatin mixture evenly into tart shells. Push a strawberry half down into each tart. If desired, top each tart with a small amount of whipped cream or whipped topping just before serving.

Steps:

• First make your pastry. Place the flour and sugar in a food processor and whizz for thirty seconds. Turn the processor back on and add the chilled butter and finally the egg. If the pastry needs a little more liquid add a spot of water until the dough rolls cleanly round the bowl. Wrap your pastry in Clingfilm and chill for half an hour whilst you prepare the tartlet tins and strawberries.
• Taste one of your strawberries to judge their sweetness. If they are sweet and luscious, as fraises des bois generally are, they will only need hulling, rinsing and a final dressing with the sugar syrup. If they're a little too tart, rinse them, lay them on a plate and sprinkle with caster sugar to give them a bit of a boost.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Butter your barquette or round tart tins, take the pastry out of the fridge and roll it out. Line each tin and prick the bottoms well. Bake in the oven for about fifteen to twenty minutes, but keep an eye on them, they may need pricking again. Leave to cool.
• Make a simple sugar syrup by boiling two tablespoons of caster sugar with the water for two minutes or so. Allow to cool. Mix the icing sugar & vanilla essence with the crème fraiche and chill.
• When you are ready to serve your barquettes/tarts, spread them with crème fraiche mixture; sit the strawberries on top and brush with the glaze.