Raspberry Fruit Tarts

Hi all– Sad to say, some of my favorite teaching buddies are retiring this year– Actually it’s sad for me, but pretty great for them!!  They have big plans ahead– mostly involving grand-kids and traveling!

So we had a big tea party to send them off into retirement.  The best parts were all the dear things that were said and the hugs and gifts given.  But the tea sandwiches and pastries were awfully nice too. Here’s the tarts that were contributed from my kitchen:

RASPBERRY FRUIT TARTS

Pastry Crust:
1 cup flour
3 tab. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted & cooled for a couple minutes
1 egg yolk

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. heavy whipping cream

To make the crust, mix together the flour, 3 tab. sugar and salt.  Then stir in the melted butter and egg yolk.

When that’s all blended press teaspoon-fulls of the mixture into mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with cooking spray*.   This should make 25-30 little pastry crusts.

Put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until they are nicely browned.

While they are cooling, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until it is fairly firm.
Then fold the cream cheese mixture and the whipped cream together and spoon it into the little cooled crusts.

Top them with raspberries (or whatever pretty berries you like).  Enjoy!

*This recipe would work great with mini muffin pans.  I had this little metallic muffin liners — available in SF at Kaiwen restaurant supply store– so I used them.