raspberry shortbread tarts

I’ve never made any sort of tart before, but those tiny little tins were just calling to me. I adore anything in miniature! I have no idea when or where my great aunt purchased them, but I found some similar tins here on Amazon, in case you want to snag a set for yourself. If you don’t have them, though, I’m sure this recipe would work great in a large tart pan, or even in a mini muffin tin. Feel free to experiment, though, and let me know how it goes! I’m excited about the new world that making tarts has opened up to me… I can’t wait to try them with a chocolate custard filling, or whipped cream and strawberries! This crust is a good base for pretty much any filling.

To assemble the tarts, I made a batch of this vanilla custard, and piped it into the cooled shortbread shells. I then topped each with a fresh raspberry and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. I love how pretty they are, and they tasted amazing too!

Shortbread Crust 
adapted from A Hint of Honey

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

9 tablespoons very cold butter (1 stick plus 1 Tbsp.), cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or two knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg yolk and water, and add to dry mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Kneading as little as possible, pat the dough into a disc shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours.

When the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface or silicone mat to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter that is appropriate to the size of your tart tins or muffin cups, cut out circles of dough (I used a 1 1/2 inch cutter for my size tins). Press dough into tins or muffin cups. Poke the bottom of each piece of dough with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 10-15 minutes in tins before removing to a cooling rack. Cool completely before filling.