Cottage Cherry Tarts Recipes

COTTAGE CHERRY TARTS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350°F Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with pastry blender. Cut in cottage cheese and vanilla until a firm dough is formed.
• SPRINKLE counter with powdered sugar. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch squares. Fill with 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Overlap opposite corners; seal tightly. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• BAKE 14 to 16 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Arrange on serving platter; sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

CHERRY TARTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough water until dough forms a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut out eight 5-in. circles. Place each over an inverted custard cup on an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; flute edges. , Bake 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before removing tart shells from custard cups; cool completely on wire racks., For filling, in a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup juice. Set cherries aside. Stir reserved juice into sugar mixture until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cherries, butter, almond extract and food coloring if desired. Cool to room temperature. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each tart shell.

GRANDMA MONETTE'S CHERRY JAM TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make the filling: Combine the cherry preserves and lemon juice in a bowl, stirring to break up any clumps.
• Make the crust: Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed. Add the whole egg, then the vanilla. Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in up to 1 tablespoon water until the dough just comes together. Wrap two-thirds of the dough in plastic wrap, then wrap the remaining one-third in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both for 30 minutes.
• Put the larger piece of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll it out into an 11-inch round. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and invert the dough into the prepared tart pan; peel off the other sheet of parchment paper and trim the excess dough. Spread the jam evenly on the crust. Roll out the remaining dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut it into 1/2- to 1-inch-wide strips (10 to 14 strips). Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern on top of the filling. Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush on the lattice and edge of the crust. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Photography by Steve Giralt

EASY CHERRY TARTS

Steps:

• Place crescent dough on a lightly floured surface; seal seams.
• Cut into 2 inches circles. Place in greased mini muffin cups.
• In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Place about 1/2 teaspoons in each cup.
• Combine pie filling and extract; place about 2 teaspoons in each cup.
• Bake 375 degrees for 12-14 minute or until edges are lightly browned.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Refrigerate until serving.