I love tarts and these mini berry tarts are my new obsession. The crispy base with the intensely flavoured filling and a scoop of ice cream is the best in the world 🙂 I used a mix or raspberries, blueberries and blackberries but you can use just one type or a mix of your own.
Don’t these tarts look amazing? To make the base I used ice cream cones instead of cookies (although it can be replaced for cookies). It’s really yummy and crispy! I loved this alternative. Also I served it with vanilla bean ice cream that’s just perfect. I finished it off with a couple basil leaves but it could also be mint or spearmint depending on what you prefer.
I love serving desserts in mini versions. Each person has their own dessert and you feel extra special for it. This recipe can also be done in a large 22-25cm mould. I wanted to make it in a mini version this time because this way I show you something different. If you’re making a large version you can see how I shape the base in my lime meringue pie recipe or lemon curd tart recipe.
I love berries in desserts. As a matter of fact I like them better cooked than raw. Does this happen to you, too? Specially blueberries. They’re nice raw but turn into this flavour bomb when you cook them. Also they have a really cool and appetizing colour to them.
If you’re making this recipe for mini berry tarts with only raspberry I recommend that you reduce the cornstarch amount by half. This is because there’s pectin in the raspberry’s seeds. Pectin is a natural thickener so if you add too much cornstarch you’re in the risk of having a really gelatinous tart filling 🙂 Also if you’re going to use strawberries I recommend that you cut them a bit first so as not to ruin the texture of the tart.
Mini Berry Tarts
Ingredients
For the base
- 220 g ice cream cones or cookies of choice
- 90 g unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
For the filling
- 600 g berry mix or just one or a couple kinds
- 170 g sugar
- 1/2 lime juice only
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
To serve
- Vanilla bean ice cream
- Basil, mint or spearmint leaves
Instructions
For the base
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Turn the cones along with the salt into fine crumbs. I used a food processor for this job.
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Add the butter and mix
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Press the mix into the tart tins using your hands.
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Bake the base of the tarts for 5 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C / 350F.
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Wait for them to cool down completely before filling them.
For the filling
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Mix all the ingredients. If you're using frozen berries then let them thaw on a sieve or colander over a bowl so they can let go of their excess liquid.
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Place the filling onto the base and help it flatten out using a spoon or spatula.
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Bake the tarts in a preheated oven at 180C / 350F for 30-40min. It's important that you notice that the filling is bubbling. This is the process that cooks out the cornstarch and helps the filling thicken.
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Let the tarts cool down once removed from the oven. When they're cold enough to manipulate then you can unmould them.
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Serve the warm tarts with vanilla bean ice cream and leaves of basil or mint.
