Pie Crust and Mini Cream Cheese Fruit Tarts

November 02, 2010

Pie Crust and Mini Cream Cheese Fruit Tarts

I realized I haven't posted anything about the pie crust I use when I make my crostatas or galettes. It is even more expensive when I make them from scratch but they're worth all the extra $$ because they are more flaky, more buttery and in short, more delicious. I use this pie crust for my egg tarts as well. Texture and taste, outstanding; but I have to learn how to make uniform size when making mini tarts. Somehow they don't turn out the same although I use the same cutter. Any way, here's the recipe for my fool-proof pie crust which I adapted from here

Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

2 sticks unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

6 to 8 tbsp ice water

Method:

1 Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes; should be thoroughly chilled.

2 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

3 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days

Cream Cheese Fruit Tarts

I've been making crostatas or galettes all the time so I think I should make something different this time. I remember my failed mini cheesecakes from last year and these little beauties gave me a felling of vindication because of how they turned out. Flaky and buttery crust with light and fluffy cheesecake-like filling topped with strawberry preserves, blueberries and Mandarin oranges. Delicious but none of the guilty feeling even after eating three, I swear!

For cream cheese filling:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

For the topping:

Canned or bottled Mandarin oranges, drained

3 tbsp strawberry preserves, microwaved with a tablespoon of water to loosen

half a cup blueberries

Method:

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar.