Mixed Berry Tarts with Lemony Filling

Ingredients

1 shortbread pastry dough recipe

½ cup heavy cream

1 lemon curd recipe (below)

1 cup each raspberries, strawberries, blueberries

Lemon curd:

3 large eggs

2/3 cup white sugar

½ cup fresh lemon juice

6 T unsalted butter

1T finely grated lemon zest

Procedure

Have your tart pans ready with removable bottoms

1. Shape dough into 8-inch log and divide it into eight equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll a piece of sough into a 5-inch round. Gently press the dough into a tart pan. Repeat with the remaining dough. Put the tarts on a baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Line each tart shell with a piece of foil that has been oiled placing the oiled side down. Fill the pie with weights (or dried beans to keep the crust from bubbling up) and place on a baking sheet. Put in the oven and bake till crust turns golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the tarts cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights.
3. In a medium bowl whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the lemon curd and gently fold together with a spatula until combined. Divide the mixture among the tart shells and smooth the filling with the back of a spoon. The filling should be no higher than the edge of the tart shell.
4. Carefully remove the outer rings and bottoms of the tart shells and arrange the tarts on a large platter. Top each with a mixture of berries and serve.

Lemon curd:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Combine the sugar, lemon juice, butter and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Gently heat over medium-low heat until the butter has melted. Don’t let the mixture come to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the lemon mixture into the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook gently, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches at least 160ºF, about 5 minutes. Again don’t let the mixture boil!!!
2. Let the lemon curd cool briefly before transferring to a heatproof container. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd and poke a few holes in it with the tip of a knife –this will keep the curd from forming a skin. Refrigerate until completely chilled. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. It will keep covered in the fridge for up to a week.