Mini strawberry pies made with a buttery shortbread crust, filled with almond cream and some piped pastry cream topped with fresh strawberries. This is the perfect dessert to satisfy someone's sweet tooth.
Honest disclaimer: There are quite a few steps to make this recipe and you'll learn a lot!
The crust, the almond cream, and the pastry cream. I will walk you through all the steps and explain them all. If you want to learn a few baking techniques, this is your opportunity.
How To Make These Cute Mini Strawberry Pies
I love love love to teach and inspire on my blog which is the main reason I created it. Hopefully, this will get people back in the kitchen and baking their own dessert.
Because a picture speaks a thousand words, I have taken process shots for each step to help you and not feel intimidated.
The pastry crust is one of the recipes I know by heart and you should too.
I made a whole post about my homemade pie crust, this is a reliable recipe to make your own fruit tart. There are a lot of details and step-by-step if you need more guidance than the recipe card at the end of this post.
Once your crust is ready and resting in the fridge, you need to make your pastry cream.
How To Make The Pastry Cream?
This is my foolproof pastry cream. Prepare and measure all your ingredients.
The steps: In a pot, bring the milk with the scrapped vanilla to a boil. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until it whitens.
Remove the milk from the stove and using a strainer pour the milk over the egg yolk/sugar mixture while stirring. Keep on stirring until it's fully incorporated.
How to thicken the pastry cream? Add the cornstarch and stir well so there are no lumps. Now, put back the pot with the mixed ingredients on the stove on low heat and keep stirring until your cream starts thickening. Referring to my last picture above, the cream should coat the spatula.
Note #1: If you don't have a vanilla bean, use vanilla extract or any other flavour of your choice.
Note #2: After adding the cornstarch, don't let the milk boil again. Keep stirring to avoid lumps.
Note #3: You can make the pastry cream ahead and store it with cling wrap flushed to it. Also, if needed to store it, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
How To Make The Almond Cream?
Almond cream is simple to make and tastes amazing. If you are an almond lover, this is the recipe you need to master. Believe me, it makes a great combination with fresh fruits.
The steps: There are only 3 really... In a bowl, mix the eggs and sugar thoroughly. Afterward, add the butter and continue mixing. Lastly, add the almond meal. That's it! This is ready to be poured into your crust!
How To Assemble The Cute Mini Strawberry Pies
Ten minutes before spreading it, take your pastry crust from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, spread your dough. Using your pastry rings, cut the crust to form the bottom.
Spread it again and make some bands using a knife to make the borders of your pies. Seal the crust together.
Cut the excess and use your fingers and gently press to make the borders smooth and even.
Are you still here? Following me? Good, let's carry on.
Pour the almond cream into each of your pastry crusts. Bake it. While your cutie pies are cooling, using a piping bag, transfer your delicious pastry cream into it.
This is also a good moment to wash your strawberries and pat them dry. You can cut them ahead of time so you are ready to add them on top. I decorated a few in different ways. It does not matter how you decorate with the strawberries as the pies will taste the same. However, you might want to use your creativity here to impress your friends.
AND THIS IS READY!
If you made it this far, consider yourself ... AWESOME! Think about it, you made a pastry crust, almond cream, and pastry cream! Remember to share your creation with me!
I have shared a recipe with the pastry cream with this raspberry tart. Also, you can find the almond cream in my pear tart.
I highly recommend making my recipes using a scale but for your convenience, I have also converted the recipe using this website.
Pastry Cream is adapted and inspired by the book French Cooking.
Cutest Mini Strawberry Pies
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- a little less than ½ cup butter softened, cut in cube packed 100g
- 1 and ⅓ cup flour 200g
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg, beaten
For the Almond Cream
- 3 eggs medium-sized
- a little less than ½ cup butter (cut in cube packed) or 100g
- a little less than a 1 cup almond meal or 100g
- ½ cup sugar or 100g
For the Pastry Cream
- 2 cups milk 500ml
- 1 vanilla bean scrapped
- 3 3 egg yolks large
- ½ cup sugar 100g
- ½ cup cornstarch 60g
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- In a small bowl, cream the butter. Add the salt.
- Add in the beaten egg. Mix well.
- In a bigger bowl, make a well with the flour and put the egg/butter mix in the middle. Fold in the flour to incorporate the mixture and flour. Using a spatula, fold the flour and pretend to cut in the middle with the tip of your spatula to incorporate the flour. Repeat this gesture until your dough is smooth. Set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven at 300F. Take the dough about 10 minutes before your need it. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough thinly but thick enough so it does not break and place it in the individual baking rings.
For the Almond Cream
- In a bowl, mix the eggs and sugar until whitens and fluffy.
- Add the butter and mix well (you may use a hand mixer if you find easier). Add the almond meal.
- Pour into the pie crusts. Don't fill it up to the top, leave a millimetre or 2.
- Bake for 20-25 min in the over until golden.
For the Pastry Cream
- In a pot, pour the milk, the scrapped vanilla and the opened bean (to infuse) and bring to a boil.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until it whitens. Remove milk from the stove and using a strainer (for the vanilla bean) pour the milk over the egg yolk/sugar mixture while stirring.
- Add the cornstarch and stir well so there are no lumps. Put back on the stove on low heat and keep stirring until your cream starts thickening.Remove from the stove and allow to cool.
- Allow to cool and keep in the fridge if necessary.
Assembling
- Make sure your baked pies with the almond cream have completely cool down.
- Fill your piping bag with your pastry cream and pip nicely on the mini tart. (see picture above).
- Add your strawberries. Bravo, you did it!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make it? Share it and tag me on Instagram @bonappeteat
Tipings.Com says
Blind-baking the crust is essential: It keeps it from getting soggy when the custardy filling is added.
Sam says
I love how you break down all the steps, it gives me the confidence to try it!