Welcome the spring season with these charming mini flower tarts. Featuring flaky pie crust and homemade curd, this treat is both beautiful and delicious! Below, you'll find the steps to make lemon and strawberry curd from scratch. But if you're in a pinch, feel free to use store-bought curd or jam instead. Either way, your friends and family will adore these tiny tarts. They're perfect for Mother's Day, Easter and baby showers.
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Lemon Curd
Things You'll Need
Juice from 2 lemons
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Step 1
Add all the ingredients except the butter to a small saucepan.
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Step 2
Cook over low heat, whisking constantly for 10 minutes. The constant whisking will prevent curdling.
Tip
Slightly increase the heat if the ingredients are not thickening. Make sure to keep whisking.
Step 3
Once the ingredients are thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat. Add the cubed butter and whisk until it melts.
Step 4
Pour the curd into a container and cover with an air-tight lid. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Tip
Traditionally, people press plastic wrap onto the curd's surface to stop a film from forming. But if you don't have plastic wrap, or want a more eco-friendly approach, you can simply cover it with an air-tight lid. We didn't experience a noticeable film in our batch.
Strawberry Curd
Things You'll Need
1/2 pound strawberries, destemmed and sliced
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Step 1
In a blender or food processor, puree the strawberries until smooth.
Step 2
Add all the ingredients except the butter to a small saucepan.
Step 3
Cook over low heat, whisking constantly for 10 minutes. The constant whisking will prevent curdling.
Step 4
Once the ingredients are thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat. Add the cubed butter and whisk until it melts.
Step 5
Transfer to a container with an air-tight lid. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Mini Flower Tarts
Things You'll Need
Lemon curd
Strawberry curd
2 pie crusts
3.5- to 4-inch flower cookie cutter
Powdered sugar
Mini muffin pans (see note below)
Tip
Depending on the size of your mini muffin pans, you may need more than one. You can use a 48-cup pan, two 24-cup pans, etc.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the pie crust onto a flat surface. Cut out as many flowers as possible.
Step 2
Re-roll the leftover pie crust into a thin sheet. Cut out more flowers. One pie crust should yield 7 to 8 flowers each.
Tip
Depending on how thin you re-roll the dough, the final flowers may end up smaller than the others. This creates a charming visual, but if you want the flowers to be around the same size, try to roll all the dough to the same thickness.
Step 3
In the mini muffin pan, place a flower in every other cup. Bring petals toward each other, place in the cup then gently press the center down.
Step 4
Repeat with the remaining flowers. With a fork, prick holes into the bottom of each flower.
Tip
If any of the flowers rip, fill in the holes with leftover pie dough.
Step 5
Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
Step 6
Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit for 15 minutes. Place the powdered sugar in a mesh strainer and sprinkle onto the flowers.
Step 7
Once completely cooled, fill with lemon and/or strawberry curd.
Step 8
Repeat until all the flowers are filled. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for about a week. If you have leftover curd, enjoy it on baked goods or with yogurt.
