Description
These delightful Mini Lemon Tarts feature a crisp, buttery vegan pastry filled with tangy vegan lemon curd and topped with fresh raspberries glazed with raspberry jam. Perfectly sized for individual servings, these tarts combine zesty citrus flavors with sweet, fresh berries for a refreshing and elegant dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry Ingredients
- 200 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 125 g vegan butter
- 35 g granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
Filling and Topping
- 1 batch vegan lemon curd
- 200 g fresh raspberries
- 90 g raspberry preserves or raspberry jam
Instructions
- Make the pastry: In your food processor, pulse the flour, vegan butter, sugar, salt, and non-dairy milk for about 30 seconds until the ingredients form a dough consistency. Gently knead the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in cling film or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease the base and sides of 6×4″ mini tart tins with some oil or vegan butter.
- Roll and shape the dough: Using a rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to around ½ centimeter thickness. Using a fluted cookie cutter slightly wider than the tart tins, cut out circles. Re-roll any leftover dough as needed. Carefully lift the pastry circles into the tins and gently ease the pastry into the sides. Pierce several holes into the base of each pastry shell with a fork to prevent bubbling.
- Blind bake the crust: Cut circles of parchment paper slightly larger than the tins. Scrunch and then smooth out the parchment paper into the pastry shells. Fill each shell with baking beans, dried beans, rice, lentils, or baking beads. Blind bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights carefully, then bake for another 7-8 minutes until the crust is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the tins on a cooling rack.
- Glaze the pastry shells: Heat the raspberry jam over a double boiler or in the microwave until it is runny and glossy. Use a pastry brush to coat the interior of each pastry shell evenly with the warmed jam, adding flavor and a slight shine.
- Prepare lemon curd filling: Make a batch of vegan lemon curd according to your recipe. Allow the curd to cool slightly for 10-15 minutes before filling the tarts.
- Fill and top the tarts: Using a piping bag or spoon, fill each cooled pastry shell with the vegan lemon curd. Arrange fresh raspberries on top of the curd, gently pressing them down to secure their placement. Lightly brush the berries with the remaining melted raspberry jam to glaze them.
- Chill the tarts: Place the filled tarts in the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow them to firm up. For best results, you can chill them overnight before serving.
- Storage: Store the tarts covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep well for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- Use vegan butter and non-dairy milk to keep these tarts completely vegan.
- The granulated sugar can be adjusted based on your sweetness preference.
- Blind baking with weights is essential to achieve a crisp, fully cooked tart shell that doesn’t puff up or shrink.
- Use fresh raspberries for the best texture and flavor; frozen berries are not recommended as they can become mushy.
- These tarts are best enjoyed chilled and should be kept refrigerated to maintain freshness.
