Fresh Fruit Mini-Tarts

I promised to post the recipe for the fresh fruit tartlets my daughter made for Mother's Day.  The recipe is a Paula Deen recipe for a large fresh fruit tart that was modified to make bite-sized tartlets made with store bought shells (the filling ingredients are identical but 1.75" tartlet shells were substituted in place of the crust part of the recipe).  These made "1-bite size" little tarts that are really cute. The tart shells are made by Clearbrook Farms and the also make a 3" size as well.  To save time, you could also use a store bought ready made crust that is already baked or cooked since the tart does not get baked.  You could substitute a graham cracker crust too or your favorite tart or pie crust recipe.  The key thing is that your crust has to be cooked before adding your filling and fruit.  To save time, you could also take a short-cut on the glaze by melting apple or apricot jelly and glazing the top by brushing that on with a pastry brush instead of making a glaze.  There are numerous ways to easily modify or simplify this recipe, depending on your preference and time.  Hope you enjoy!

Fresh Fruit Tart(s)

Crust:

·        1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

·        1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·        1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced

***Note: For our crust, we used store bought ready-made “bite size” tartlet shells

Filling:

·        1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

·        1/2 cup granulated sugar

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

·        Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries (or your favorite fresh fruit)

Glaze:

·        1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

·        1 tablespoon cornstarch

·        1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

·        1/4 cup granulated sugar

*Note: You can substitute melted apricot or apple jelly for the glaze and simply brush on

·       Whipped cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.  ***Optional: You can substitute a ready made crust or tartlet shells to save time

For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.  ***Optional: If making tartlets instead of a larger fruit tart, dice the fruit into small pieces to top the tartlets

For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all the glaze. ***Optional: To save time, you can substitute melted apricot or apple jelly to brush on as a quick glaze

Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving.