Pastry Tarts with Vanilla Cream

Ingredients

• 400 g whole‑grain puff pastry
• 0.5 Vanilla bean
• 400 ml milk (1.5% fat)
• 40 g cornstarch
• 40 g coconut palm sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 6 fresh strawberries
• 12 mint leaves
• powdered erythritol for dusting

Instructions

1. 1.

   Spread the puff pastry and cut out 12 heart shapes. Place on a parchment‑lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan; gas: level 3) for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

2. 2.

   Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and scraped pod to 350 ml milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for about 10 minutes.

3. 3.

   Whisk the remaining milk with cornstarch and coconut palm sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg yolk, then stir this mixture into the hot milk. Keep stirring while bringing back to a gentle boil; simmer for 1–2 minutes. Take off the heat, let cool, and discard the vanilla pod.

4. 4.

   Press the pastry hearts lightly on top and fill with the cream. Wash, dry, and halve the strawberries. Shake mint leaves dry. Arrange strawberries on the tarts, dust with powdered erythritol, and garnish with mint before serving.