Mandarin Tarts with Cointreau Custard

These little mandarin tarts are irresistible and a great winter alternative to tarts using berries when they are out of season and so expensive. Satsuma mandarins are my favorite not only for eating out of hand, but also for pastries. They are virtually seedless and their distinctive “zipper skin” pulls away easily, revealing the easy-to-separate segments. There is no such thing as a mandarin that is always completely seedless, but Satsumas and clementines can have few or none. I have found