Here we are in the middle of summer, the weather is toasty warm, the skies are deep blue and the sun is ripening my favorite fruit… strawberries. Strawberries are at all the farmer’s markets and also at my favorite strawberry stands located on the sides of roads that beg everyone driving by to stop and buy a couple of pints of beautiful red berries. There is rarely a week that goes by that I don’t buy at least three pints of berries, everyone loves them. We mostly just slice the berries and eat them plain or with a little sugar on top. Sometimes though a luscious strawberry dessert is needed and today I am sharing my Strawberry Curd Tarts that we served at our last party. Really, who doesn’t like eating a beautiful tart?
Freshly picked, sweet, red and ripe strawberries
My daughter and I recently hosted a tea party and wanted a small fruit dessert that could be easily made but most of all easily eaten. Making these tarts bite-sized made a great dessert for our guests to pick up from the trays. These tarts are perfect for dinner parties and buffets, no slicing required and the quests can help themselves. Setting out a large platter of tarts with whole strawberries makes such a colorful presentation, your guests will love them.
“Sometimes a luscious strawberry dessert is needed…”
The dough for these tarts is easy to make and rolls out nice and firm. Cut out dough circles and place inside a muffin tin to create these nice sized tart shells that are perfect for holding the strawberry curd. This dough also makes an 8″ tart pan if you want a larger tart.
You are going to love the size of these tarts, scroll on down to see the baked tart shells.
I like using the riper strawberries to make the curd since they have more flavor and juice. Puree the sliced and hulled strawberries in a food processor. The easiest way to strain the puree is to put it in a fine mesh strainer then take a soup ladle and stir and press the puree into a bowl. This works like a charm. Set the puree in the fridge to firm up.
When you are ready just spoon the strawberry puree into the tart shells. Strawberry curd does not get ultra thick but is thick enough to fill the tart shells, just don’t overfill. And, yes, once you cook the puree the color changes.
Top the tarts with whipped cream and a sliced strawberry. Step back and look at your creation then go ahead and try one. You must make sure they are ok to serve your guests, right?
Strawberry Curd Tarts
These Strawberry Curd Tarts are the perfect little dessert for all strawberry lovers. Filled with a sweet strawberry curd and topped with a dollop of whipped cream these tarts are a luscious treat.
Ingredients
Tart Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, cut in cubes
Strawberry Curd
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 cup butter
Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
Instructions
Tart Dough
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In a large bowl add the flour and sugar. Add butter and cut in with two knives until small pea size.
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Stir in the beaten egg with a fork until the mixture holds together.
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Turn the dough out on a floured board pressing the dough together to form a ball. The dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a week.
Roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness then using a cutter make dough circles that fit inside a muffin tin. You want the tart shells to be shallow.
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Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove tarts shells from pan to cool.
Strawberry Curd
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In a food processor puree the strawberries
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Add the sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan, stir to combine
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Add the egg yolks to the sugar mixture and mix to combine.
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Whisk in the strawberry puree and cook over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk constantly for about five minutes until thickened.
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Pour the strawberry curd into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Stir the mixture with a soup ladle to remove the seeds.
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Place plastic wrap over the curd and chill until firm.
Whipped Cream
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Pour the whipping cream into a bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
Completing the Tarts
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Spoon the strawberry curd into the tart shells then top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Optional ~ garnish with sliced strawberries.
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Keep tarts refrigerated.
Feeling like pinning to your dessert board on Pinterest?
For all the strawberry lovers try this recipe for a fun and decadent dessert. Strawberry Shortcakes in a Glass.
Here are my recommendations for your baking needs.
The muffin tin to make the tarts ~
A fine mesh strainer for the strawberry puree ~
I hope you are all having an amazing summer and enjoying the fruits of summer.
They look absolutely divine! And I really love the thought of a strawberry curd as a dessert. It makes a nice change from lemon. I’ll bet they’re extremely popular when served!
I love everything about these!! The strawberry curd and the individual pieces are both such good ideas!
These are beautiful. Adding this to must try as I am a major fan of strawberries and tart.
These tarts are adorable! I love love love love how beautiful and vibrant they look. I can taste the strawberries just looking at them. Can’t wait to try it!
These are so pretty. I just realized I have strawberries. This recipe would be perfect way to use them up. I love that I have all the ingredients to make this!
How cute are these strawberry curd tarts?! I need to have a tea party just so I can make these for my guest.
I love curd tart. You recipe looks so easy to make. My kids will enjoy eating these.
Oh yummy, we love everything strawberry in our family. My girls would love to make these little tarts.
You had me at strawberry! They are definitely my favourite summer fruit. I’ve never tried strawberry curd though. These tarts look and sound divine!
I like your lemon cake and this looks like another great idea for a sweet treat for kids. Strawberries are so flavorful, they work great for cakes, cookies, tarts… Thanks for sharing these!!
You are so welcome and you are right strawberries go with so many desserts.
Any recipe that you start with fresh picked strawberries is going to be amazing 😀 These look fantastic!
What a great and delicious way to showcase fresh strawberry season. I love lemon curd….so this would pair so well…tart and sweet. Love the colour of these sweet treats. I would have a hard time eating just one!!
I agree! Tarts are perfect to serve to guests. These look so delicious and your guests are so lucky!
These look amazing. My mum loves strawberries so I might make these as a surprise treat for when I go and stay with her next week.
What an absolutely perfect dessert! I love strawberries, and these would be so perfect for a brunch or dinner party! Can’t wait to give em a go!
Such an adorable dessert! I love strawberry and I love tarts, so I don’t see what’s not to love here! Thank you so much for the recipe.
I love tarts and curd but have never made strawberry curd. Yoru looks so tasty I need to make it. The idea of having a bite sized dessert is also great, less guilt and all the yummy flavor.
I love bite-sized anything.
these tarts are so beautiful!! I absolutely love the little mini pans!! So so cute!
Oh my goodness these look amazing! I love lemon curd, but this is one I will definitely have to try! True taste of summer.
These tarts are adorable! I love individual desserts like this, they look so fancy! Pinning!
These are adorable and are amazingly delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!