Tart for Tart

Just as I complained about the lack of berries, all of a sudden the markets seemed to be flooded with raspberries! They are hubby's favorite, so of course I couldn't resist but getting a few boxes. Personally, I often found raspberries a little tart. I like my fruit sweet and juicy; but that's how he likes them. However, I do have a soft spot for fruit tarts. Tart fruit is perfect for fruit tarts. =)

This time, I went with the Scintillating Strawberry Tart from Dessert Circus at Home. Instead of forming a large crust on foil, I made 8 mini-tarts. (Yes, yes, yes! I confess that I didn't make the edges like Jacques Torres demonstrated. When the tart pans are within reaching distance, I chose the easy way out.) I have tried this recipe before. What I've done differently today was to make the Pâte Brisée by hand like Torres said. It wasn't worth the effort! Use your food processor if you've got one. I also heated the apricot jam in the microwave. It didn't work as well as the stove. It might save you a minute or two, but it wasn't as smooth, and I much rather stand over a pot than getting the bowl in and out of the microwave multiple times. Now, onto the minor mistake I made. Since I didn't have any whole milk in the house, I used 2% for the pastry cream. As the result, the cream was a bit runny. It still tasted good, just missing that gelatinous look. Hey, nobody in this house noticed except me. =)