These traditional Swedish heart-shaped pastries are not only adorable but also irresistible. Tender, buttery pastry dough surrounds rich vanilla pastry cream creating simple and delicious individual tarts that will keep you coming back for more!
And this recipe is such a fun baking project for a weekend afternoon. The dough rolls out like a dream and the pastry cream comes together in a snap. You are going to love these sweet little tarts (and so will everyone else)! Lets get started!
Why This Recipe Works
- This easy pastry dough is made in the food processor and comes together quickly.
- The rich vanilla pastry cream cooks while the dough is chilling in the refrigerator.
- The dough rolls out easily and filling the molds with the rolled dough and pastry cream is a fun baking project you'll enjoy with delicious results!
What Makes This Recipe Nordic/Scandinavian?
These heart-shaped tarts are a traditional pastry served in Sweden. According to The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson, Vaniljhjärtan are a variation of the Norwegian pastry linser which are basically small lemon custard tarts.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
The pastry dough is made with all-purpose flour, cold butter and powdered sugar and comes together with an egg yolk and little cream. Vanilla provides a bit of flavor.
For the Pastry Cream:
Pastry cream is essentially a rich vanilla pudding prepared on the stovetop. This version is made with whole milk or half-and-half (your choice) and thickened with cornstarch.
Special Equipment Needed
- Food processor
- Small heart-shaped tins or sandbakkel tins. The traditional little heart-shaped tins for vaniljhjärtan can be hard to find (I found mine at a Scandinavian specialty store, and I have also seen them on Etsy), but sandbakkel tins work just as well.
- Rolling pin
- Dough scraper (to help coax the rolled dough rounds from the counter if necessary).
How to Make This Recipe
- Begin by making the dough: Whisk the egg yolk, cream and vanilla together in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, salt and powdered sugar in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times.
- Scatter the cold butter cubes over the flour mixture and pulse until it resembles wet sand, about 10-12 pulses.
- With the food processor running, pour the egg mixture through the feed tube. Process until a cohesive dough forms.
- Gather the dough and transfer to a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator until firm, at least an hour or up to a day. If the dough has been in there awhile it will be quite firm and may need a few minutes to warm up before you can roll it out.
- While the dough chills, make the pastry cream: Whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, half and half, sugar and salt together in a medium saucepan. Add the butter. Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until the butter melts and the mixture becomes smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. (pastry cream can be made 1-2 days in advance.)
- Assemble the Tarts: Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove one of the discs of dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured work surface until it is ⅛ of an inch thick. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter just slightly larger than the heart mold, cut 8 circles from the dough. Press a round of dough lightly into a mold and let the excess dough fold over the edge. Transfer the mold to a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Store the tart bottoms in the refrigerator while you prepare the tops. Gather any dough scraps, wrap in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator for a second batch.
- Remove the second disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured work surface until it is ⅛ inch thick. Using the same biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 8 more circles. Remove the tart bottoms from the refrigerator and fill about ⅔ full with chilled pastry cream. Lay a second dough circle on top of each filled bottom and gently wrap the dough around the edges of the tart pan. Using a sharp, small knife, cut any excess dough from around the molds and press the edges gently to seal. Chill the assembled tarts in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before baking. Gather any dough scraps, wrap in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator for a second batch.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the tarts until golden and puffed slightly in the center, about 18-23 minutes. Let the Vaniljhjärtan cool slightly in the molds and then carefully remove them and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Repeat the process with the dough scraps once they are cool enough to work with for a second batch.
Expert Tips
- Don't skimp on the cooling times. They make the dough much easier to work with, and help the tarts bake up evenly.
- Don't overfill the tarts with pastry cream. This will help the cream stay inside the tart while baking.
- Enjoy Vaniljhjärtan the day they are made! Because the tarts contain pastry cream, they need to be refrigerated for longer storage. They are still good after being refrigerated, but not as tender and delightful as the day they are baked.
FAQs
Can I make these Buttery Swedish Custard Tarts ahead of time?
The pastries are best the day they are baked, but the components, both the dough and the pastry cream, can be made a day in advance if you wish to do so.
How do I store any leftovers?
Wrap any leftover tarts in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. Take them out and let them warm up a bit at room temperature before enjoying them again.
Related Recipes
Looking for more tasty Swedish baked goods to try? There are many delicious options here on the blog. Here are a few fan favorites:
Vaniljhjärtan are a bit of a project, but one that is well worth your time. You will be rewarded with a batch of delicious tarts and oohs and aahs from everyone you choose to share them with.
Recipe
Buttery Swedish Custard Hearts (Vaniljhjärtan)
Buttery and tender heart-shaped pastry encases rich vanilla pastry cream.
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Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 292kcal
Equipment
- At least 8 small heart-shaped pans or sandbakkel tins (any shape will work just fine)
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cup powdered confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes and chilled
- For the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups half and half or whole milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of fine salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk the egg yolk, cream and vanilla together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand, about 10-12 pulses.
- With the machine running, pour the egg mixture into the food processor through the feed tube. Process until a cohesive dough forms.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and divide into two pieces. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, pressing it into a 6 inch disc in the process. Chill for at least an hour or up to two days (the dough will harden significantly if it’s in the refrigerator for more than a few hours so you may need to let it warm up slightly before rolling).
- While the dough chills, make the pastry cream: Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, half and half, sugar and salt together in a medium saucepan. Add butter. Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until butter melts and mixture becomes smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. (Vanilla Pastry Cream can be made 1-2 days in advance.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove one of the discs of dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured work surface until it is ⅛ of an inch thick. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter just slightly larger than the heart mold, cut 8 circles from the dough. Press a round of dough lightly into a mold and let the excess dough fold over the edge. Transfer the mold to a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Store the tart bottoms in the refrigerator while you prepare the tops. Gather any dough scraps, wrap in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator for a second batch.
- Remove the second disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured work surface until it is ⅛ inch thick. Using the same biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 8 more circles. Remove the tart bottoms from the refrigerator and fill about ⅔ full with chilled pastry cream. Lay a second dough circle on top of each filled bottom and gently wrap the dough around the edges of the tart pan. Using a sharp, small knife, cut any excess dough from around the molds and press the edges gently to seal. Chill the assembled tarts in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before baking. Gather any dough scraps, wrap in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator for a second batch.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the tarts until golden and puffed slightly in the center, about 18-23 minutes. Let the Vaniljhjärtan cool slightly in the molds and then carefully remove them and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Repeat the process with the dough scraps once they are cool enough to work with for a second batch.
Notes
These tarts are best the day they are made, but you can store any leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator. Set them out at room temperature to warm slightly before enjoying.
Nutrition
Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 1mg
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Kristi says
These Swedish Custard Hearts are a real treat with crisp, flaky pastry on the outside and creamy vanilla cream on the inside. I love making them for Valentine's Day!