By Nadine Smith
Using the best of in season berries, these ‘more than a bite size’ individual tarts make a truly festive offering. Filled with a simple prepare-ahead curd, this recipe is great for kids to help assemble and decorate with bright berry jewels. Makes 12 individual tarts.
Ingredients: lemon curd
5 egg yolks
1 egg
3 lemons, zest finely grated
125ml lemon juice
150g caster sugar
225g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes & refrigerated
In a medium saucepan, add the egg yolks, whole egg, lemon zest, juice and sugar and whisk together until evenly combined. Add the cubes of butter and heat gently. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until tiny bubbles appear around the edge of the saucepan and the curd thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and transfer the curd into a fine sieve, pressing through into a clean bowl to remove the lemon zest.
The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover with cling wrap and allow to cool before using.
Ingredients: festive tarts
2 packs of 6 pre-baked pastry tart shells, approximately 4.5cm diameter
125g punnet fresh blueberries
125g punnet fresh raspberries
250g punnet fresh strawberries, topped & quartered lengthwise
To assemble, arrange the tarts on a serving platter, gently spoon lemon curd into each tart shell, filling to three quarters. Top each tart with berries and serve with joy!
