Brazilian Strawberry Tartlets
Brazilian Strawberry Tartlets are a classic in every padaria. Not only they are delicious and undeniably cute, but they're also bite-sized, which makes them perfect for parties.
Ingredients
For the tartlet shells:
For the strawberry jam:
- 2 cups strawberries, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the Pastry Cream:
- 1 14oz can sweet condensed milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 strawberries, halved
Instructions
To make the tartlet shells:
- Cut the dough into 12 tartlets and use your fingers to press it in the mold. You can patch any thin parts or cracks with excess dough.
- Freeze the crust for 15 minutes or no longer than 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the tartlets from the freezer and, using a fork, liberally prick the chilled dough all over to allow steam to escape.
- Place the tartlets in a baking sheet, line the shells with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges just begin to brown, rotating halfway through. Time will vary depending on the size of tartlets and the material the pans are made of. But generally it can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the parchment paper and weights, then continue baking for a few more minutes until the center of the pastry crusts are golden.
- Cool completely before removing from the pans. Reserve.
To make the strawberry jam:
- Combine the chopped strawberries and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the stove, over medium heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the strawberries have released quite a bit of liquid.
- Uncover, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Let it cool completely. Reserve.
To make the pastry cream:
- Combine the sweet condensed milk, whole milk and heavy cream in a large saucepan. Bring it to the stove, over medium heat, until it starts to simmer.
- In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Once the liquids start to simmer, remove a ladleful and add, slowly, to the yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Transfer the tempered yolks to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened considerably, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Pour the cream into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
- When ready to use, whisk vigorously to soften the texture.
Assembling the Strawberry Tartlets:
- Top which tartlet with a layer of strawberry jam. That will depend on the size of your tartlets, but I could fit about half a tablespoon on mine.
- Place the pastry cream in a piping bag with a large drop flower or star tip.
- Pipe the pastry cream over the strawberry jam.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries and serve immediately.
Notes
The strawberry tartlets should be assembled right before serving. They don't do well in the fridge, as the cream filling will make the shells soft and soggy. However, you can prepare the pastry cream and jam up to 2 days in advance and keep them in the fridge until ready to use.