Downton Abbey: Fruit Tarts
A recipe for mini fruit tarts for our afternoon tea menu inspired by the television series and movie, Downton Abbey.
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Short Crust
- 5.5 oz all purpose flour
- 4 oz unsalted butter
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Baked Custard Pudding
- 2 cups whole milk
- zest of half a lemon
- 2 ounces granulated sugar
- 3 large whole eggs
- grated nutmeg
- seasonal fruit as needed
- apricot jam as needed
Short Crust
In a bowl, add your flour and butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until you reach the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Add a bit of water at a time just until you can press it into a ball of dough.
Roll it out two to three times, folding the paste over each time. Wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8" thickness. Punch out circles slightly larger than your mold. In this case, I used mini cupcake molds to make these tarts. Press the dough gently into mold. With a fork, dock the base of each tart shell. Bake for 10-15 minutes until it's lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let it cool.
Baked Custard Pudding
In saucepan, combine milk together with the sugar and lemon zest. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and whisk in the eggs. Whisk until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tart shells and freshly grate a bit of nutmeg on top. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until the custard is set on the edges but gives just a slight wiggle in the center. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
Once cool, nicely arrange your fruit on top. Brush the fruit with the apricot jam to help preserve and finish the tarts.
Keyword Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Downton Abbey, Tart