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Downton Abbey: Afternoon Tea - Fruit Tarts recipe

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
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

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

Instructions
 

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