Fruit Tartlets

Now here is when you can show off all of the skills you have learned either from what I have given you so far (modest I know), cookery shows, cookbooks whatever or where-ever you get the inspiration These are  perfect for dinner parties as a great way to finish off the meal. It also makes it seem as if you have a great deal of skill when its actually a lot easier than it looks.

This isn't really a recipe it's a how to put it all together.

What You Need:

1. Creme Patisserie Recipe 
2. Sweet Pastry Recipe
3. Selection of Fruit; strawberries, oranges, raspberries, blackberries ect..... apples and bananas don't really go well as once they are cut the oxidation process begins and they turn brown which doesn't make for an attractive dish. 
4. Apricot Jam

Method:

1. Make the pastry as stated in the recipe, 
2. Bake blind* at 180/gas ark 4 for 12 minutes until the pastry is cooked
3. Make the creme patisserie as stated in the recipe 
4. Fill into the cooled, cooked pastry cases 
5. Place the chopped fruit on the creme patisserie 
6. Put the apricot jam in a pot and bring to the boil
7. Using a pastry brush gently brush the apricot jam (now glaze) onto the fruit to give them a shine

*When baking blind you could using baking beans and then again you could not waste your money. Get cling film (it has to be oven proof - not all of them are!) or parchment paper and cut it an inch bigger than the mould  so that the sides don't collapse. Then fill the tarts with rice grains - you normally have this at home and it doesn't hinder the grains when you go to cook them after. Ask yourself what is better for your wallet - €5 for 70g of baking beans (bare in mind you need about 8 of these to blind bake 4 tartlets at a time) or spend €1.60 in Lidl or Aldi and buy 500g of rice - tough question I know.