Sunshine Flower Tarts

Prep Time: 45 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Course: Dessert | Serves: 12 

Sunshine tarts or small flower-shaped perfect pastry tarts filled with lemon curd with a whipped cream star center. Perfect Pastry is a very flaky all-butter crust. The name says it all and is inspired by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Lemon Curd:

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

½ cup butter, melted

3-7 lemons zested

1 cup lemon juice (about 5-7 lemons)

Perfect Pastry:

2 ½ cups flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks butter) cut into tablespoons

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 Tbsp cold water

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

3 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp lemon curd

Whisk sugar and eggs together in a 2-quart glass measurer or mixing bowl, pour in hot melted butter while whisking to temper the eggs. Stir in the zest and juice. Microwave for 1 minute and stir, repeating for 3-5 one-minute intervals depending on the strength of your microwave (stirring after each minute). Curd is done when it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Place in the refrigerator and it will continue to thicken as it cools. Meanwhile, make the pastry.

In a food processor with a metal blade, add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Pulse once to mix. Top with the tablespoon-sized slices of butter and pulse until the mixture is roughly mixed together like a coarse cornmeal mix and the butter bits are no bigger than the size of a pea. You’ll want to do most of the mixing before adding liquid to keep the dough tender. Add in the vinegar and water and quickly pulse about 16 (or fewer) times to incorporate, the dough will begin to come together. Spread two sheets of plastic wrap on the counter and divide the dough between them. Wrap, and flatten the discs (pressing in little areas that may need to still come together) and chill them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, longer is fine (up to several days). The dough can be made by hand in a large mixing bowl with a pastry blender, a large fork, or even your hands; remember to do most of the mixing work before adding liquid to keep the pastry from being tough. I find dough made by hand needs 1 additional tablespoon of water. You may need to add 1 additional tablespoon of water if the weather is very dry as well.

Preheat oven to 425*. Using a sheet of waxed paper or parchment, dust your rolling surface with a sprinkling of flour. Place chilled pastry on top, dust the top lightly with flour and roll out an inch or so larger than your pie plate (if the pastry is really cold it may need to warm up a bit before it rolls easily; if it cracks give it a few minutes before continuing to roll). When the pastry is rolled out, cut out 12 tartlets with a large flower cookie cutter. Place them in a standard muffin tin. Prick with a fork and bake for 16-18 minutes. Pastry will be a beautiful browned color when done. Let cool, then fill with lemon curd. Make whipped cream.

Whip the heavy cream and sugar to medium peaks. Add in the lemon curd and whip to medium-stiff peaks. Fill a piping pag with a large star tip and pipe a star in the middle of the flower.