Strawberry Custard Tarts

It was twin playgroup time again and I was tossing up between making either this or cookie pops. After a rather hectic week and not really wanting to load the twins into the car and drag them (or rather them drag me) through the shops for 1 item I made these tarts. Always fun to make and certainly a winner among the kids. They just love anything with strawberry in it. Also the price of strawberries are coming back down again so I had several punnets just looking fat and sweet calling at me "eat me, eat me". You only have to tell me once.

The recipe that I used is from Taste.com.au with a little tweak. I doubled the custard ingredients as the original recipe only made enough custard for 12 mini store bought pastry cases and I wanted more. Also I made my own tart cases. I did not make the pastry from scratch but by all means if you can please do. I used ready made shortcrust pastry and also some dark chocolate shortcrust pastry. Here's a thing I learnt from using the chocolate pastry - taste SO crazily yummy as is without baking. All the remnants from the cut outs ... ate them :)

Strawberry Custard Tarts
3 sheets shortcrust pastry (I used 2 normal, 1 chocolate just because I could)
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons caster sugar
2/3 cups thickened cream
strawberry jam
1 punnet strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Cut out pastry and shape into muffin trays. I made 24 minis and 6 large muffin size ones.
3. Dock the pastry by piercing it with a fork several times so that it doesn't rise and get too puffy or you won't have room for lots of custard.
4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, set aside to cool and start on custard.
*** pastry will shrink a little when baked so when you cut out pastry to make tart cases do not cut out pieces that are too small ***
5. Whisk yolks and sugar until all sugar is dissolved. Then add cream and mix. Don't whisk too much or the final product will be bubbly and not smooth.
6. Put a small dollop of jam on the base of each tart and add a piece of strawberry. How big the piece of fruit is up to you and also it has to fit the size of tart.
7. Pour custard into tart case around the strawberry and try not to overfill.
8. Bake for approx 15 minutes until custard is set.

Coconut and Almond Tart

One of my all time favourite tart in the world is this Coconut and Almond Tart. The tart is based on a Dutch recipe of a coconut cake called Klappertaart. Like all old amazing recipes the world over many people have their own version and this is mine. I must admit that I got inspired by looking at a recipe from a South African site but the name eludes me at the moment. I will give it credit when I come across it again.


You can make one large tart or lots of little bite size ones. If you love coconut like I do, this is a must try. The short pastry with that salty buttery goodness, followed by the amazing texture filled coconut filling countered with a little tang from the jam .... mmmmmmmmmm!

Coconut and Almond Tart
Filling
2 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup water
2 eggs (separated) 
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
2 or 3 (or more if you really like almonds) handfuls of slithered or sliced almonds
approx 3 tablespoon jam (anything that's not too sweet)
pinch of salt
Crust
1 cup plain flour
125g butter (cubed)
1 egg yolk (lightly beaten)
pinch of salt
cold water



1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a loose bottom pie dish or individual moulds if you're making bite size ones.
2. Put coconut, sugar, water, butter and salt for in a saucepan and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. While the coconut mix is simmering start making the pastry. In a large mixing bowl put flour and salt and then with your fingertips rub in butter. Once the mixture starts looking like breadcrumbs add the beaten yolk and some ice water. Add the water a tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough until it comes together in a ball. Press dough on to the pie dish or individual moulds. Spread the jam over the crust.
4. Whip 2 egg whites until it reaches stiff peaks.
5. Add egg yolks, sliced almonds and vanilla and almond essences into coconut mixture.
6. Fold in egg whites and spoon mixture into crust.
7. Place on bottom shelf of oven for approx 40 minutes until a golden crust is formed and coconut mix is set.

I didn't use a loose bottom dish -
when I should have really

Creamy Lemony Summer Tart ... for all seasons!

I have to give credit for this recipe to the queen goddess of all Domestic Goddesses, she who only needs one name, the one and only Nigella.

This tart is so simple and no fuss that everyone really should have the ingredients in their pantry as staple ... you just never know when you need to whip one up. I ALWAYS find a reason like birthdays, a new baby, special visits from friends, lunch, Wednesday, Friday ... you get the picture.

I do fear publishing this recipe will expose me as a fraud to some of my friends who have had the pleasure of eating the tart as they'll see how easy it is and how little effort I actually put in to it. The thing is Nigella has made such an incredible tart that it would be a sin not to share .... after all, you know the saying ... a shared calorie is a non calorie!! This is my slightly modified version, Nigella's link is at the bottom of post.

Creamy Lemony No Fuss Tart.

400g digestive biscuit
100g salted butter softened (unsalted will do but I love a touch of salt in the base)
500g cream cheese softened or it'll be lumpy
350g lemon curd (I use Yackandandah brand as I find it has the perfect tangy zingy taste for me)
An assorted combination of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and whatever else you want

1. Blitz the digestives and butter until it looks like browney goldeny sand. Press into tart tin. Use a springform tin for easy removal. I normally make one big tart plus 3-4 extra little single pie size ones in the disposable trays. What shape or size or quantity is obviously up to you. Freeze it for at least 15 minutes.

2. Open jar of curd, throw on top of cream cheese in food processor, press button, blitz and you're done. This is how easy it is.

3. Pour lemon curd cream on tart base, decorate with fruit, pop back in fridge for at least 4 hours. The longer the better or removing the tart from tin might be tricky.

4. Present to friends, wait for ooohs and aaahhs, take a bow and say something appropriate like "it was no effort really" ... and quietly thank Nigella.

Credit for inspiration to Nigella Lawson.