Custard Berry Tarts

It’s safe to say I got a little obsessed with the #baketogether this month. I’ve been on a bit of a pie-making kick lately anyway, and this fed right into my addiction. I can quit anytime, though. Really. Just watch. Next week I’ll do brownies, or mousse, or maybe pancakes. Definitely. Because I can stop. I can quit making piecrust anytime.

In the meantime, however, I am going to share another tartlet with you. My inspiration for this one was the custard tart, seen in bakeries across the U.K. and not nearly often enough in North America. Custard tarts are another addiction of mine. I could eat them every day forever.

Traditional custard tarts have a thick, toothsome crust, so I rolled my pie dough a  little thicker than usual for these. I also added berries: 2 raspberries and a few blueberries per tart. I love the flavor balance they bring: the mellow sweetness of the blueberries and the bright acidity of the raspberries merge beautifully with the creamy, eggy custard.

Give them a try and see for yourself.

Custard Berry Tarts

• Pie dough (amount for a single crust pie, 1/2 the recipe in Oh Boy, Strawberry Pie)
• 1 large egg, plus enough heavy cream to make 1/2 cup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 T. sugar
• about 1/2 cup each of raspberries and blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 400.

Divide the pie dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece out and fit it inside a muffin cup. Prick the bottom of each crust with a fork. Fill cups with pie weights. Bake the crusts for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and remove weights.

Reduce oven temperature to 325.

Place 1 or 2 raspberries and 3 or 4 blueberries in each tart shell.

Whisk the eggs until well blended. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar.

Pour the custard mixture over the berries, filling each tart shell as close to the top as you can get without it spilling over.

Bake until the custards are just set. if you use frozen berries, like I did, this will take 30 to 35 minutes. If you use fresh berries it will be faster.

Remove tartlets from pan while still warm, but cool completely before serving.

Try to eat just one. Go ahead. Try.

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