Fruit Tarts with Chocolate Shell

Close up shot of fruit tart with chocolate shell on on white cupcake stand.

Fruit Tarts with Chocolate Shell

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate fruti tarts, fruit tart, fruit tart recipe, fruit tarts, mini fruit tarts

Prep Time: 1 31

Cook Time: 12

Chill Time: 3

Total Time: 4 43

Servings:

Calories: 593kcal

These beautiful mini Fruit Tarts are just as delicious as they look with rich chocolate shells, orange pastry cream and loads of fresh fruit. Finished with a glossy passion fruit glaze, they’re an impressive dessert for parties, showers and special occasions. Colorful, elegant and sure to be a hit with friends and family!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Orange pastry cream

1 cup whole milk 240 ml
½ cup orange juice fresh, preferably strained and pulp-free (120 ml)
3 medium egg yolks
¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
5 tablespoons cornstarch 35 g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature (15 g)

Chocolate tartlet shells

1 ¼ cups all‑purpose flour sifted (150 g)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 25 g
½ cup powdered sugar 60 g
⅛ teaspoon fine salt a pinch, about 1 g
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold , cut into small cubes (90 g)
1 medium egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water or milk, just enough to bring the dough together, 15–25 g

Passion Fruit Glaze

2 tablespoons passion fruit jam
1 tablespoon water

Fruit Topping - An Assortment of Fresh Fruit

2 pounds fruit such as halved strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red currants, small clementine or mandarin segments (from a jar, well drained), kiwi slices
fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Make The Pastry Cream

Start with the pastry cream; it needs to chill the longest (at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours or overnight).
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and orange juice. Gently heat over medium heat until steaming, then remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
1 cup whole milk, ½ cup orange juice
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until smooth and slightly thickened.
3 medium egg yolks, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 5 tablespoons cornstarch
Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, whisking vigorously and continuously (including the sides of the pan), until the cream comes to a gentle boil and thickens. Let it bubble for 30–60 seconds to cook out the starch, whisking the whole time.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter until completely smooth.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pour the pastry cream into a shallow dish. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to fill the tartlets, lightly whisk the cold pastry cream to loosen it up.

Make The Chocolate Tartlet Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt.
1 ¼ cups all‑purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Add the cold butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix to combine. Drizzle in just enough cold water or milk for the dough to come together into a soft but not sticky dough.
1 medium egg yolk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly flour it. Place the dough on top and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. You will have about two flat rectangles of dough.
Leave the dough sandwiched between the parchment sheets, lay it flat on a baking sheet, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Line And Bake The Tartlet Shells

Lightly butter the mini tart pans.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top sheet of parchment. Cut out circles slightly larger than your tartlet pans. Gently press the dough circles into the pans, making sure the dough is evenly pressed across the bottom and up the sides. Trim the edges and check that the thickness is even.
Prick the bases with a fork. Chill the lined pans for another 20–30 minutes to help prevent shrinking.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
Place the tartlet shells on a baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes total. There’s no need to blind‑bake with weights. After about 6–7 minutes, check the shells; if the bottoms have puffed up, carefully press them back down with the back of a spoon and return to the oven for the remaining bake time.
Let the tartlet shells cool completely in the pans, then gently remove them.

Make the passion fruit glaze

In a small microwave‑safe bowl, combine the passion fruit jam and water.
2 tablespoons passion fruit jam, 1 tablespoon water
Microwave for about 30 seconds, or until melted and liquid. Stir until smooth, then let cool to room temperature before using.

Assemble the tartlets

Fill each cooled tartlet shell with orange pastry cream, smoothing the top with a spoon or offset spatula.
Arrange the fresh fruit on top in any design you like, building a generous, slightly domed layer.
2 pounds fruit
Using a pastry brush or small spoon, lightly coat the fruit with the cooled passion fruit glaze.
Garnish with a few small mint leaves, if desired.
fresh mint leaves

Chill and serve

Serve the tartlets chilled or at cool room temperature. They are best on the day of assembly but keep well in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Notes

Storage Information

These are best on the day of assembly, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to one day. The crust will gradually soften from the pastry cream and fruit.

Make-Ahead: For the best results, make the orange pastry cream and chocolate tart shells up to one day ahead. Keep the pastry cream refrigerated and store the cooled shells in an airtight container at room temperature.
Refrigerator: Assemble the tarts on the day you plan to serve them. Once assembled, they can be refrigerated for up to 1 day, although the chocolate pastry will gradually soften as it sits with the pastry cream and fruit.
Freezer: The baked tartlet shells can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Cool them completely, place them in an airtight freezer-safe container, and thaw at room temperature before filling. The assembled tartlets and orange pastry cream should not be frozen.

Notes

Try an apricot glaze: If passion fruit jam isn't available, apricot jam makes an excellent substitute.
Make one large tart: You can use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom instead of making individual tartlets. For a larger tart, blind baking is recommended.
For the chocolate tartlets, the dough is rolled out between parchment sheets before chilling. If you chill the dough first and roll it out afterward, it becomes quite firm and much harder work to roll to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thickness.

Please see post above for more information, step-by-step photos, recipe tips and frequently asked questions.

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