Fabulous Fruit, Caramel & Creamy Dessert Tartlets

I will tell you about a very special celebration when my nephew, who can now add the title of Doctor in front of his name, (very proud of him I must add), turned 30 which was cause for a big celebration.
Many of my fellow foodies know that I have a terrible sweet tooth, so of course my specialty at all family celebrations, is...
yes you guessed right, it is dessert!

So I made one of Dr M's favourites - crispy bite size pastry cases filled with fresh fruit & cream, caramel and a fluffy custardy cinnamon sprinkled filling, it was a real hit with everyone!

Unfortunately not gluten free, not sugar free and certainly not a health food, but delicious it was indeed ;)

This recipe is real easy and super versatile - pastry cases are baked in advance, stored in airtight containers and when one needs a sweet treat, or even a savoury one, you simply let your imagination run wild and put together a filling with whatever you have in the pantry or whatever fruit is in season.

Note:
These pastry cases will keep for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature but also freeze exceptionally well for much longer.

Gorgeous Kiwifruit

Passion Fruit and Blueberries

Sweet fillings:

Everyone's guilty pleasure - Caramel - kitty guarding over the piping bag

Piped Caramel on its own or with cream
Piped Caramel with peppermint choc grated on top
Lemon Curd & Cream
Lemon Meringue topping
Whipped Cream topped with Passion fruit or Pineapple Dessert topping - recipe below
Piped Patisserie Cream
Sweetened whipped Cream topped with Berries
Pipe flavored sweetened Cream Cheese on and top with fruit
Milk Tart filling - a typical South African treat consisting of a fluffy creamy custard sprinkled with ground Cinnamon - recipe below

Recipe for Pastry Cases
Yields approx 100 bite size tartlets

250 gram Butter, at room temperature
50 ml Sugar
2 Eggs
2 ml Salt
750 ml Cake Wheat Flour
10 ml Baking Powder (not baking soda)
Cream butter, sugar and eggs together
Add sifted dry ingredients and mix to a softish to firm dough
Press quite thinly into tiny cupcake tins using finger tips, neaten edges with a knife

Bake at 170C fan oven till a nice deep straw color, tap pan lightly on hard surface to loosen pastry cases

Remove from pans and cool on cake rack, store in airtight container once cold

Fillings
Recipe for Passion Fruit Dessert topping
Note - this can be made with grated fresh Pineapple as well
Pulp from 6 Passion Fruits
100 ml Sugar
10-15 ml Custard Powder
Approx 100 ml Water
Place fruit, sugar and water in pot, bring to the boil
Thicken with custard powder mixed to a paste in a little water, remove from heat once filling starts bubbling, store in a bottle in refrigerator

Gorgeous Passion Fruit from a friend's garden

Pulp, water and sugar in saucepan

Lovely tangy Passion Fruit Dessert topping

Recipe for Milk Tart filling

250 ml Full cream Milk
50 ml Sugar
2 ml Vanilla Essence
20 ml Cornflour
1 Egg, separated
Heat milk & sugar, reserving a little milk to mix cornflour to a paste
Add egg yolk and vanilla to cornflour paste, stir into milk just before it comes to the boil
Fold in stiffly beaten egg white and spoon into pastry cases while filling is hot
Sprinkle Cinnamon on top

Gorgeous Dessert platter for our young doctor M

A quick look for all the busy people ;)

I do hope you try these, I hope to share a savoury selection with you some time! Please let me know if you think up more wonderful delicious fillings for these crispy magic little pastry cases!