Mini Fruit Tarts with Lemon Curd Mousse

A three part recipe from Home Cooking in Montana.

Part 1: Shortbread Mini Pie Shells

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted or 1/2 cup vegetable shortening + 1 tbsp water
• 1.5 tbsp + 1/2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1.5 + 1/2 tsp icing sugar
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. Beat butter until fluffy. 
3. Add brown sugar and mix together. Add icing sugar, mix. Then add all-purpose flour and mix. 
4. Roll into 1 tbsp balls and place into cupcake tray
5. Put in freezer for a few minutes to chill/harden. Remove and roll into 1/2 inch balls and place into mini cupcake trays, pushing an indent with your fingers.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until the outer edges are slightly brown.
7. Take out and use a back of 1 tbsp to create indents and cool. 

Part 2: Lemon Curd Mousse

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tbsp lemon curd (recipe below)

Steps:

1. Whip heavy cream until you form medium peaks, be careful not to overwhip or else the whipping cream components will start to separate and you will need to start over!
2. Add 4 tbsp lemon curd or until to desired taste and fold with spatula. 

Part 3: Homemade Lemon Curd 

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1.5 tbsp grated lemon peel
• 1/2 pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Beat eggs and sugar over a double boiler (of simmering water)
2. Stir in butter, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt.
3. Cook for 15 minutes. 
4. Allow to cool, store in fridge for up to 1 week

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Add 1/2 cup butter, unsalted (room temperature) and beat lightly. OR you can use 1/2 vegetable shortening (I used crisco) and 1 tbsp water, mix. 

2. Add brown sugar, mix. 

3. Add icing sugar to mixture, mix together.

4. Add 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and mix together

You'll notice the dough will be crumbly initially, but you will get a nice doughy texture. 

 5. Next roll into small 1/2 inch balls and place into a cupcake tray:

 6. Put in the freezer for a few minutes, or chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

7. Once you take it out of the freezer, lightly indent the dough with your fingers and place into the oven. 

8. Bake for 12 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and cool. 

10. Use the back of a tablespoon to make indentations in your mini pies. 

Repeat for the rest of the mini tartlets, and allow to cool. 

Making the Lemon Curd Mousse

1. Next we are going to create the lemon curd. Setup a double boiler, which is water in a sauce pan and heat-proof bowl.

2. Into the heat proof bowl, add egg, sugar and whisk together:

2. Measure 1/4 cup and melt in microwave for 30 seconds add to the heat proof bowl:

3. Add lemon juice and grated lemon peel and whisk together, and add salt:

4. Whisk together and allow to cook for 15 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken over time:

5. In a separate bowl, measure out your heavy whipping cream and whip until you get medium peaks. DO NOT overwhip as this will cause the whipping cream to separate and you'll have to start over again.

6. Add 4 tbsp of lemon curd to your whipping cream and fold. You can add more or less lemon curd until the mousse is to your desired taste. 

Fold together and mix until well combined:

7. Fill your mini tartlets with the lemon curd mousse and top with a field berry: