Fruit and Custard Tartlets (aka mini pies)

Alex is coming home for Christmas! I was trying to clean his room, but I thought he might prefer treats and a messy room??
I think he prefers apple as a pie variety, so I made some apple and custard mini muffin size pies. Or maybe they are tartlets...

Just to be sure I covered the bases, I also made mixed berry tartlets with a touch of custard.

Ingredients (one set of 24 tartlets):

CRUST

1 1/2 cup flour (190 grams)
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup confectionary sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
small pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest (zest from one medium orange)

CUSTARD

1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING options (use one!)

3 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
2 large diced apples (Costco sized ones)
2 or medium sliced pears
(or about 3 cups of fruit are needed for 24 mini pies)
For berries only: Mix 2 tablespoon corn starch into fruit, & mabe 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. For mini muffins - pre-cook fruit 3 minutes in microwave. Let cool while you make the crusts.
   For apples - stir in 2 tablespoons sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon before pre-cooking in microwave.
   For frozen berries -  stir in 2 tablespoons corn flour and about 1/2 cup sugar depending on tartness.
3. Spray wells of mimi muffin pan with PAM, then dust with flour.
4. Make crust - Whisk flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in food processor
5. Cut butter into small chunks, whir into flour mix to form coarse crumbs
6. Add egg, vanilla, and zest and process in short bursts until dough forms.
7. You may need to add 1/4 additional flour to get a good dough consistency.
8. Roll out dough on lightly floured board.
9. Cut into 24 pieces.
   (I cut the dough into 4 equal parts, divided each quarter into halves, and then cut each eighth into thirds.)
10. Press dough into each well.
11. Scoop in about a mini cookie scoop of pre-cooked fruit.
12. Bake for 10 minutes
13. While baking, mix together custard
14. After 10 minutes of baking, pull out pan. Evenly distribute custard over all tartlets, use a knife to distribute some in the fruit.
15. Return to oven for 10 minutes or so until crusts look golden brown.
16. Optional - Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

Carole's Notes:

I lightly adapted a recipe from Baba's Kitchen that came in a mail link from

https://madmimi.com/p/773136?fe=1&pact=14-128296234-8347569786-9db6424761a02e01ab10b161ffaac24be300aa8a&amx=8347569786
I made mine mini size (I adjusted cooking times), and used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
The crust is tastes somewhat like a pop tart (without icing). There was a lot of crust to filling - I think I will make 30 or so tartlets with the dough next time.