Mini Fruit Tarts

On Saturday I had family over for brunch. In addition to serving bagels, lox, and a green salad I decided to make these little fruit tarts for dessert (alongside black and whites purchased at our neighborhood bagel shop...yum!). They were a total experiment but turned out to be a big hit!

Fruit Tarts (serves 6)

6 pre-made puff pastry shells

9 blackberries

1 peach, peeled and sliced

2 extra large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2/3 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Place the pastry shells face up on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake according to package instructions. Cool on a wire rack then pluck out the centers of the shells. To prepare the custard filling, start by beating the egg yolks and sugar for about 3 minutes. Beat in the cornstarch. Boil the milk in a saucepan, then slowly pour it into the egg mixture. Now pour it all back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick. This should only take a few minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the butter, vanilla, and cream. Refrigerate the custard until cold. Once it has been chilled, spoon it into the pastry shells and arrange fruit on top.