Fruit Tarts

{I took these to a party last night and it was the ONLY dessert that got completely polished off-they are my favorite!}

Crust

1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups flour


Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and almond extract and beat well into the mixture, almost to the point to where it looks whipped.  Add the flour, and BEFORE mixing add the remaining dry ingredients-then mix all the dry ingredients into the dough together.

The dough will seem sticky.  Wrap it in one big ball with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for a least 3-4 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a cookie scoop-scoop dough and make sure it is level in the scoop (if there is more it will be too much dough for each tart).  Plop the scoop into the slot of a MINI muffin's tin (Do not grease your tin).  Then gently press down in the middle of the dough forming a small crater.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-11 minutes.  Each tart should look somewhat doughy/greasy in the middle but nicely browned around the edges.

Remove muffin tin from the oven, and cool for NO MORE than 5 minutes (if you wait any longer the dough sets and you will not be able to make a bowl to fill cream in the middle).

The way I remove each of these from the tin is by using the cap of a water bottle (as pictured below).  I turn the water bottle upside down, and firmly press right in the middle of the crust forming a perfect cavity to fill with cream.  The tart should come up with the water bottle as you pull it out.  Place the crust on a cooling rack, and cool until no longer warm.

Cream Filling

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 package softened cream cheese (8 oz.)


1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract

You will need two separate bowls.  In one bowl, beat the cream cheese until the consistency seems silky.  Add the brown sugar and beat well (the mixture will look brown-but don't fear it will turn white again).

In the second bowl, whip the whip cream with the sugar and almond extract.  Then fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Make sure it is well mixed.

Scoop cream mixture into a gallon size ziplock bag (unless you have a pastry bag-then for sure go ahead and use that). Cut a dime size hole out of the bottom corner of the bag and use it to fill the cream in each mini crust.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Right before serving, garnish with whatever fruit you would like to place on top! 

{My personal favorites are raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries}

Party Ideas

-Decorate with blueberries and strawberries and make mini flags out of these for the 4th of July!

-If you want to make these even a little more fancy for a Bridal Shower, dip the bottom of each crust in some chocolate and then place on parchment paper to firm before filling with cream and fruit.

-Serve a refreshing finger food dessert at your next summer BBQ

-Garnish with tropical fruits (pineapple, kiwi, mango) and have a LUAU