Filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with an array of summertime fruits that have been soaked in a jasmine green tea–flavored simple syrup, these desserts are a feast for the eyes and for the palate.
Berry Cream Tartlets
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated piecrust dough (2 sheets)
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces fresh blackberries
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries
- 6 ounces fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup chopped kiwi
- Jasmine Green Tea Syrup (recipe follows)
- Garnish: fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly spray 8 (3 ½-inch) round tartlet pans with cooking spray.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll piecrust dough sheets. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut 4 rounds from each dough sheet. Transfer each round to a prepared tartlet pan, pressing into bottoms and up sides. Using the wide end of a chopstick, gently press dough into indentations in sides of pans. Trim and discard excess dough. Using a fork, prick bottom of dough in each tartlet pan. Place tartlet pans on a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Place a square of parchment paper or a mini cupcake liner in center of each prepared tartlet pan, letting ends extend over edges of pans, and place ceramic pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice atop each parchment piece.
- Bake until tartlet shell edges are lightly golden brown, approximately 7 minutes. Carefully remove pie weights and parchment paper, but do not remove tartlet shells from pans.
- Bake tartlet shells for 3 minutes more. Let cool completely before carefully removing cooled tartlet shells from pans.
- In a medium heatproof bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, whisking thoroughly.
- In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium-high heat until very hot, with bubbles around edges of pan and milk is steaming (do not boil), stirring occasionally. Whisking constantly, slowly add hot milk to egg yolk mixture. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and comes to a low boil, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract until incorporated. Transfer pastry cream to a heatproof bowl and cover surface of pastry cream with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, approximately 4 hours or up to a day in advance.
- In a medium bowl, combine fruit and Jasmine Green Tea Syrup, tossing gently to coat fruit with syrup. Let soak for 30 minutes.
- Divide cold pastry cream among tartlet shells, leaving room for fruit. Drain fruit well before arranging a layer of fruit atop pastry cream. Serve immediately, or cover loosely and refrigerate for up to an hour before serving.
- Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.
Jasmine Green Tea Syrup
Serves: 3 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tea bags jasmine green tea*
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water and sugar just to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add tea bags, cover pan, and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Let syrup cool. Store syrup in a covered container (preferably a glass jar) in the refrigerator.
Notes
*We used Twinings Jasmine Green Tea, which calls for water to be hotter than is used for steeping most green teas. If using a different brand, let syrup cool to the indicated temperature before adding the tea bags.
