Sometimes you just need a quick and easy dessert. These little (4 inch) tartlets might just be the thing. Here they are dressed up for valentines day, but no reason that you couldn’t put stars in the middle for the 4th of July or a flower in the spring. They’re quick to put together — start to finish, including baking time is just about an hour (depending on how long you let your dough rest — at minimum 20 minutes which is just enough time to make the filling). The recipe easily makes 4 tartlets; if you really stretch it, you can get 6 out of this (depends on how deep the tartlets pans are). Now, where is the a la mode?
Ingredients
for the pastry
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
6 tablespoons (or more) ice water
for the filling
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg, well beaten with a tablespoon of water
2 tablespoons sugar, for top of tarts
You will also need: 4-6 4-inch mini-tart pans and a heart shaped cookie cutter
Directions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours.
While the dough is resting, make your filling. Combine 1 cup berries with 3/4 cup sugar in pan. Simmer on low heat until sugar is melted and mixture is very liquid; about 5 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water in bowl to make a slurry. Add to pan with raspberries. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to full boil and is clear and thick. Pour hot mixture into large bowl. Cool until to warm but still above room temperature. Fold in remaining cup of raspberries, lemon zest and butter. Let cool before making the tarts.
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray your tart pan with cooking spray. Roll out dough to 1/3 inch thickness. Using a salad plate as a sizing guide, cut out rounds and nestle them into the tart pans. Crimp edge and dock bottom. Fill with raspberry pie filling. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out hearts as a top to the tarts (it does not need to cover the entire surface). Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar.
Reduce heat to 375F when you put tartlets in oven. Bake about 30-35 minutes. Cover edges with a strip of foil if edges are getting too brown. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving to let the filling firm up again a little bit.
