Strawberry tartlets

These strawberry tartlets, or Scottish strawberry tarts, are bright, delicious bites of berry and cream goodness. They're relatively simple yet they feel like a little indulgence. A wonderful way to make the most of berry season. 

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For anyone who grew up in Scotland, you will probably recognize these little bites right away. They are a classic treat you'd find in bakeries across the country when it's strawberry season.

While the climate in Scotland is sometimes made fun of for being cold and wet (and honestly, sometimes for good reason), it is perfect for growing wonderfully sweet, juicy strawberries. They really are some of the best around, even being a wee bit biased.

I have fond memories of going to a pick your own farm most years and loading up to make jams like strawberry raspberry jam, or enjoy as a snack. And these little tarts were an occasional treat, too.

In Scotland, these are typically called strawberry tarts, but they are really more tartlets since they are each just a couple of bites. Now granted, while they look pretty and taste great, they are not always the easiest to eat without getting a little messy. But I assure you, they are most definitely worth it. 

Components in these strawberry tartlets

These little tarts have four main parts to them:

• Pastry base - this is a gently sweet shortcrust pastry that's easy to make with butter, flour, a little sugar and a little water. If you are short on time, you could use ready-made shortcrust pastry. I'd suggest not using pie crust dough as that tends to be a little more flaky. 
• Whipped cream - this acts as the base filling in the tartlets. It's easy to make, though this, too, you could buy ready made. If you want to go a little fancier, you could use pastry cream, but regular whipped cream (only lightly sweetened, if at all) is more typical and works well. 
• Fresh strawberries - each tartlet is topped with a large, ripe strawberry, so make sure you hunt down some really nice looking ones. I've had these with chunks of strawberry instead, especially if the bases are made slightly larger. 
• Strawberry glaze - in Scotland, you can buy ready-made glaze, but it's easy enough to make your own, as described below. It's in effect a strawberry sauce, thickened with cornstarch, and strained to remove seeds and solids. You could also use strained strawberry jam, though it may not have quite the right thickness. 

Tips for making the pastry bases

While as I say, the pastry is really simple with just a few ingredients, a few things are worth keeping in mind to help them turn out well. First, a food processor helps the ingredients to come together quickly and be well combined. However you can also mix the dough by hand. Use a pastry cutter or rub the butter into the flour until very small pieces, then add the water and knead to mix.

Be sure to chill the pastry before rolling to help avoid it sticking. Just flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap/cling film. Then chill again after filling the moulds to limit how much it shrinks as it bakes.

Roll the pastry with a rolling pin and then cut circles to fill the mould you are using. Remember the pastry shrinks a little when it bakes so slightly over-fill. To cut the pastry, use either a fluted cutter so you have a wavy edge, or cut circles then use the tips of a fork to make a pattern on the edges so they are neater. 

Then prick the surface with a fork to let air out as it bakes in the oven. You first blind bake the pastry, meaning you have the inside covered and weighted so it doesn't puff up as it bakes. Line with cupcake liners or parchment then fill the inside with baking beans or similar (you can use dry beans, just remember they won't work to then cook later, but you can use them for baking again). 

After blind baking, remove the filling and cook a few minutes more to dry out and crisp the pastry. Let the pastry cool before removing the mould then let it cool completely before filling.

What is the best mould/tin to use for the pastry shells?

Ideally, use small moulds such as the ones you would use for custard tarts for the pastry shells. I used ones that are fluted and have a 2.6in (6.6cm) diameter at the top and a depth of 0.9in (2.3cm). You can use moulds that have a removable bottom to make them a little easier to release, but nonstick also works well.

If you don't have these, you can also use a muffin tin or small tart pan. Just bear in mind you may get a few less tarts as these can be larger. Also, you probably don't want to fill a muffin tin all the way to the top as they tend to be deeper. 

Preparing ahead

While these are best to be eaten relatively soon after making them, you can make parts ahead of time. 

You can make up the pastry dough and either store in the fridge for a day or two, or freeze it for longer storage. You can also bake the pastry cases and store at room temperature for a day or two unfilled. 

Whipped cream can be stored around 3 or so days in the fridge and the strawberry glaze can as well. Fresh strawberries will also keep a few days refrigerated. Though I recommend not storing too long or they start to dull and soften.

Then, assemble the tartlets shortly before serving for the best appearance and texture. The pastry can soften if left filled too long. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, warm it gently to see if that helps. If needed, add a little extra water to thin it slightly.

These strawberry tartlets are like mini pies, an upgraded strawberries and cream or just a simple, tasty combination that makes a delicious little treat. They're great to add to a dessert tray at a party, or just to enjoy as a snack. And being small, there's every excuse to come back for another.

Try these other berry desserts and snacks:

• Rote Grütze - a tasty and easy German mixed berry pudding, delicious served with vanilla sauce.
• Strawberry mousse - easy, creamy, fruity and made ahead so great for entertaining.
• Finnish blueberry pie (mustikkapiirakka) - a delicious mix of crumb base with a berry and creamy cheesecake-like filling, infused with delicate cardamom.
• Plus get more snack recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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