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?
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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.
Check out this post on How To Keep Strawberries Fresh so your berries will last a week or more.
Here is your ingredient list
- Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Strawberries
- Cornstarch
- Whipping Cream
How to make mini tart shells
The dough for these tarts is easy to make and rolls out nice and firm.
Step 1. Mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add cold, cubed butter to the mixture and with a pastry blender or two knives cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of peas.
Step 2. Beat the egg and add to the flour mixture and mix until the dough holds together.
Step 3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and bring together into a ball.
Step 4. Roll the dough to a 1/8″ thickness.
Step 5. To make the tart shell you simply cut out dough circles with a 2 1/2″ round cutter and place the circles inside a 12-cup muffin pan. This technique creates nice sized tart shells that are perfect for holding the strawberry curd. This dough also makes an 8″ tart if you want a larger tart.
Step 6. Bake the tart shells for 20 minutes in a 300 F. degree oven. When the tarts shells are baked let them cool and the tart shells will pop out of the pan.
An easy way to make tart shells
These tart shells are perfect for other desserts
- Fill will pastry cream and top with fruits
- Any type of pudding will work and top with whipped cream – chocolate would be delicious
- Fill with warmed canned fruit
- Add a scoop of ice cream
- Layer with cream cheese and fresh fruits
How to make strawberry curd
I like using the riper strawberries to make the strawberry curd since they have more flavor and juice.
Step 1. 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.
Step 2. Add the sugar and cornstarch to a medium-sized saucepan and stir, then stir in the egg yolk.
Step 3. Whisk in the strawberry puree and bring the mixture to a boil, then cook over medium heat until thickened.
Step 4. Remove from the heat in stir in room temperature butter until melted.
Step 5. Pour the curd into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm.
Step 6. When you are ready just spoon the strawberry curd into the tart shells.
The 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.
Step 7. 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?
“Sometimes a luscious strawberry dessert is needed…”
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Here are my recommendations for your baking needs.
This recipe needs a good 12 cup muffin pan which is good for all kinds of desserts. This fine mesh strainer is a kitchen must-have item to strain juices, broths and to remove seeds. You might like these mini ceramic bowls for sauces or desserts. If you serve berries this ceramic berry basket is just nice to display your colorful berries.
Strawberry Curd Tarts
Ingredients
Strawberry Curd
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
Instructions
Tart Dough
- In a large bowl add the flour and sugar, stir to combine. Add the cubed cold butter and cut into the flour with two knives until the butter is the size of small peas. small
- Stir in the beaten egg with a fork until the mixture holds together.
- Turn the dough out on a floured board pressing the dough together to form a ball. Roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness, then using a 2 1/2" dough cutter, make dough circles that fit inside a muffin tin. You want the tart shells to be shallow.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove tarts shells from pan to cool.
Strawberry Curd
- In a food processor puree the strawberries then pour the pureed strawberry into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Stir the mixture with a soup ladle to remove the seeds. Set the puree aside.
- Add the sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan, stir to combine
- Add the egg yolks to the sugar mixture and mix to combine.
- Whisk in the strawberry puree and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high, then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for about five minutes until thickened whisking constantly
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter, stir until melted.
- Pour the strawberry curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm.
Whipped Cream
- Pour the whipping cream into a bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
Completing the Tarts
- Spoon the strawberry curd into the tart shells then top with a dollop of whipped cream. Optional ~ garnish with sliced strawberries.
- Keep tarts refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition
For all the strawberry lovers try this recipe for a fun and decadent dessert. Strawberry Shortcakes in a Glass.
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I hope you are all having an amazing summer and enjoying the fruits of summer.
Should the butter be cold or room temperature?
I’m sorry I should have clarified, I meant to ask is the butter for the tart part supposed to be cold or room temperature?
Hi Meghan, the butter for the tart dough should be cold and cut into cubes. I will update the recipe. I appreciate you asking.
The curd calls for butter but doesn’t say exactly when to add it. I’m assuming it’s when it’s removed from the heat and before it’s strained?
What an important step to leave out and thank you for letting me know. I fixed the recipe and you are correct to add the butter after you heat the puree.
I just made this so I could make those cute tart shells, they are the perfect size for bite-size tarts and you can put all kinds of fillings in them. Plus, they were so easy to make. I decided to try the strawberry curd and so glad I did, it was delicious.
Am I missing where you talk about how many eggs to use? Thank you!
This recipe takes two egg yolks, a very important ingredient.
I think the question was referring to how many eggs to add to the dough. They aren’t listed in that set of ingredients. Thanks!
Thanks for pointing this out, I updated the recipe to add one beaten egg to the flour-butter mixter.
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!