Strawberry Honey Custard Tarts (Printable Version)
Buttery shells layered with honey custard, lemon curd, and fresh strawberries for a stunning summer dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Tart Shells
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1 large egg yolk
05 - 1–2 tbsp cold water
06 - Pinch of salt
→ Honey Custard
07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/4 cup honey
10 - 3 large egg yolks
11 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
12 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
→ Lemon Curd
14 - 2 large eggs
15 - 2 large egg yolks
16 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
17 - 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
18 - 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
19 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
→ Assembly
20 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
21 - Fresh mint leaves for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water, pulsing until dough begins to come together. Add additional water only if necessary for dough to form.
02 - Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough and press into six 4-inch tart pans. Prick bottoms with fork.
03 - Line each tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then continue baking 8–10 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely in pans.
04 - Combine whole milk, heavy cream, and honey in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until just simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve honey.
05 - Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on surface, cool to room temperature.
06 - Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened 5–7 minutes. Do not let mixture boil. Remove from heat and whisk in cubed butter until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate until set.
07 - Spoon chilled honey custard into cooled tart shells, spreading evenly. Top with layer of lemon curd. Arrange fresh strawberry slices decoratively on top. Garnish with mint leaves if desired. Serve chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The honey custard brings this subtle floral sweetness that ordinary sugar just cant achieve
- Lemon curd cuts through all that richness like a bright knife through butter
- Fresh strawberries turn something already elegant into absolute edible art
02 -
- Room temperature butter will ruin your tart shells so keep everything icy cold until it hits the oven
- The custard can go from perfect to scrambled in seconds so never walk away while its thickening
- Plastic wrap touching the surface is non negotiable unless you want a weird skin on both fillings
03 -
- Use a light colored honey so it doesnt compete with the delicate lemon curd
- Room temperature eggs whisk into the custard base much more smoothly than cold ones