Individual Almond Cream Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
| All purpose flour | 2 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Butter/Margarine | 2/3 Cup (16 tbs), diced | |
| Cold water | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Eggs | 2 , separated | |
| Vanilla | 3 Ounce | |
| Milk | 2 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 1 cup heavy or whipping cream, whipped | ||
| Almond extract | 1 Teaspoon | |
| 1 11-ounce can mandarin-orange sections,drained | ||
| 1 medium-sized kiwifruit, peeled and sliced | ||
| 4 or 5 large strawberries | ||
| Seedless green grapes | 1/4 pound | |
| 1 square unsweetened chocolate, coarsely grated | ||
| Apple | 1 Ounce | |
| Water | 1 Tablespoon | |
Directions
1. Prepare tart shells: Into medium-sized bowl, measure flour and butter or margarine. With fingertips, blend flour and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In cup, beat cold water with egg yolks. Add yolk mixture to flour mixture, stirring to mix well. Shape pastry into a ball.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. On well-floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll pastry 1/8 inch thick. With floured 4 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 20 pastry circles, rerolling trimmings if necessary. Gently press each circle onto bottom and up side of 3-inch fluted tart pan (or use twenty-four 2 1/2-inch muffin-pan cups, and cut circles with a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter). With fork, prick pastry in many places. Arrange tart pans in 2 jelly-roll pans for easy handling. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until pastry is lightly browned.
3. In cup, beat egg whites until frothy. Quickly brush hot tart shells with beaten egg whites. Cool tart shells in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. With knife, gently loosen tart shells from sides of pans; remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.
4. When tart shells are cool, prepare cream filling: Prepare 2 packages of instant pudding mix as label directs, but prepare both packages together and use a total of only 2'/2 cups milk. With rubber spatula, fold whipped cream and almond extract into pudding.
5. Spoon filling into tart shells. Decorate some filled tart shells with mandarin-orange sections, some with kiwifruit, some with strawberries, some with grapes, and some with chocolate.
6. Prepare glaze: In small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat apple jelly with water, stirring often, until jelly melts and mixture is smooth; brush over fruit. Let glaze dry, about 10 minutes. Cover tarts and refrigerate.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. On well-floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll pastry 1/8 inch thick. With floured 4 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 20 pastry circles, rerolling trimmings if necessary. Gently press each circle onto bottom and up side of 3-inch fluted tart pan (or use twenty-four 2 1/2-inch muffin-pan cups, and cut circles with a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter). With fork, prick pastry in many places. Arrange tart pans in 2 jelly-roll pans for easy handling. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until pastry is lightly browned.
3. In cup, beat egg whites until frothy. Quickly brush hot tart shells with beaten egg whites. Cool tart shells in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. With knife, gently loosen tart shells from sides of pans; remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.
4. When tart shells are cool, prepare cream filling: Prepare 2 packages of instant pudding mix as label directs, but prepare both packages together and use a total of only 2'/2 cups milk. With rubber spatula, fold whipped cream and almond extract into pudding.
5. Spoon filling into tart shells. Decorate some filled tart shells with mandarin-orange sections, some with kiwifruit, some with strawberries, some with grapes, and some with chocolate.
6. Prepare glaze: In small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat apple jelly with water, stirring often, until jelly melts and mixture is smooth; brush over fruit. Let glaze dry, about 10 minutes. Cover tarts and refrigerate.
Chef
