Raspberry Rhubarb Vanilla Custard Tarts

These tarts are so dangerously addictive I feel obligated to post a warning on behalf of your waistlines: make a batch of these with friends over lest you gobble all of them up. Even then it might be an exercise in self control.

So I can't remember how much puff pastry I used for this recipe. It was probably a third of the puff pastry I made a few weeks ago using Tartelette's recipe. And I fudged the measurements for most of the ingredients since the original recipe was in grams and milliliters, and honestly, the conversions were doing my head in.

Raspberry Rhubarb Vanilla Custard Tarts
adapted from Delicious Days

Puff pastry

Raspberry Rhubarb
3 stalks rhubarb
5 tablespoons raspberry puree
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar

Vanilla Custard
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out
1/8 cup sugar
pinch salt
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 egg yolks

Roll out the puff pastry into a thin rectangle, and then, starting from the shorter side, tightly roll into a log, wrap it in foil, and chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Do not let it freeze. Cut the puff pastry into slices about as thick as your thumb, and form them into little cups. Fit them into a greased muffin pan, ramekins, mini tartlet molds, etc. Cover and chill in fridge while preparing the fillings.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Shave the rhubarb into thin slices and combine in a small saucepan with the raspberry puree, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Taste, and add more sugar if needed.

In another small saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and vanilla pod/seeds to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes. Remove the vanilla pod.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks in a medium bowl and beat till combined. Continue beating very, very slowly while gradually pouring in the hot cream mixture. Return this mixture to the stove and carefully reheat while stirring continuously. Avoid boiling. Remove from heat when the mixture has thickened.

Fill the puff pastry shells with custard, about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Top with rhubarb raspberry puree. Do not overfill or the filling will overflow--puff pastry also tends to shrink a bit in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until pastry is a light golden brown.