Strawberry Rose Tartlets

Edible roses, made with fresh strawberries on top of a buttery, pastry crust filled with rich custard cream. 

Handcrafted, fresh and beautifully delicious!

Easter and Mother's Day are right around the corner. What's better than celebrating with these amazing strawberry-cream tartlets?!? And I'm not talking about those regular, same-old fruit little tarts. You know, the one with a sad-looking piece of half strawberry on top. Oh no! I'm talking about a handcrafted, perfectly crumbly tartlet, filled with velvety pastry cream, topped with a few slices of kiwis and an individually carved, rose-shaped strawberry.

These picture-perfect, edible flowers are a sure way to impress your guests.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?! These strawberry flowers are really awesome. You probably have seen them all over the internet. They are pretty fashionable on Pinterest right now.

Once you see how easy it is to make them, you'll run for a knife and a big, juicy strawberry to try it too. 

Make sure your knife is small, pointy, and sharp enough. And your strawberry is (relatively) big and firm. If you are right-handed, I suggest turning the strawberry in a counter-clockwise direction while you're cutting the petals, so you won't by mistake break a petal that you just cut. 

Ready to try?!? Let's get baking!

This recipe first appeared on Cooking with Manuela in February 2017.

INGREDIENTS:

YIELD: 16 mini tarts

1. • For the dough:
     • 4 oz (115 gr) of unsalted butter, softened
     • 1 egg
     • 1/3 cup (65 gr) of sugar
     • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
     • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
     • 1 1/3 cup (200 gr) of all-purpose flour
     For the custard cream:
     • 10 fl oz (300 ml) of milk
     • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
     • 2 egg yolks
     • 1/3 cup (65 gr) of sugar 
     • 2 tablespoons (20 gr) of corn starch
     For the top:
     • around 16 large strawberries
     • about 4 kiwis
     • powdered sugar to decorate

PREPARATION:

TIME: 60 minutes, plus one hour inactive

For the dough: Make sure to remember to remove the butter from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you start with the recipe. In a large bowl add the softened butter, egg , sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix well until smooth. Add the flour and blend well. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or longer.

For the custard cream: Warm up the milk until hot, but not boiling. In a medium size pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, the corn starch and the vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy. Add the milk a little bit at a time, whisking well so that no lumps form. Whisk in the rest of the milk. 
Place the pan over medium heat and stir continuously until it reaches a slow boil. The cream will thicken, so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom. Lower the flame and cook for a couple of more minutes, until you reach the desired thickness. Pour the cream in a glass bowl and let it cool down.Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).Grease the tartlets mold with butter and flour (or spray). Set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough making sure it doesn't stick to the counter. Cut with round cookie cutter. Mine are 3 inch (7.5 cm) in diameter. Place them into the mold, pressing down gently with your fingers, trying not to stretch the dough. The upper diameter of my tartlet mold is 2.5 in (6.25 cm) each. You can use the dough cutouts to make more round cookies, just re-knead the dough and roll again. Bake the empty shells for about about 12 minutes, in the middle of the oven, until just golden at the edges. You should be able to make 16 tartlets.

Let the tartlet shells cool down completely. When you are ready to serve, cut the strawberries in a rose-shape as shown in my pictures. You can also watch my quick video:

Fill the cookie cups with one tablespoon of custard cream. Peel, cut in half (lengthwise) and thinly slice the kiwis. Line 4 or 5 half slices of kiwi around the edges, as shown here. Top with the strawberry roses.

Store in the refrigerator if not eaten right away.

Enjoy :)