Mini Lemon Tarts in a Graham Cracker Crust

These mini tarts are really simple to make and depending on how many spices you add to the crust they'll be bursting with flavor. 

The first thing is to make your lemon curd for the filling. You can find my lemon curd recipe here

This is another very simple recipe that  you can whip up and store in your fridge and use it for pies, cake or cupcake fillings.  Next let's make your crust.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

*note during the Fall and Winter months I like to add a little of allspice, nutmeg or ginger even to spice it up*

Directions

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

2. Bake at 375 degrees  for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.

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Raspberry Pie

There's nothing like a piping hot pie, especially when you've made it yourself and the aroma overtakes your home.

Mixed Berry Tart

A tart is another way to use berries during the Spring and Summer months. I love picking up fresh berries at the local farmers market myself. 

You can find the crust recipe here.

 Berry Filling

Ingredients 

8 oz. (2 cups) fresh raspberries
5 oz. (1 cup) fresh blueberries
5 oz. (1 cup) fresh blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar; more to taste
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. table salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tbs. granulated sugar


Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss the raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries with the sugar. Taste the fruit; if it’s more tart than you like, add up to 2 Tbs. more sugar. Toss in the lemon zest, flour and salt until evenly mixed.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to keep it from cracking when you assemble the tart. Heap the fruit in the center of the dough round, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edges of the dough over the edges of the fruit to create a rim. Work your way all around, pleating the dough as you go.

3. Brush the dough evenly with the egg and sprinkle the sanding sugar directly on the dough and fruit.

4. Bake until the dough is completely golden brown, 40 to 55 minutes. (Some of the juices will escape from the tart.) Transfer the baking sheet to a rack to cool.

5. When cool enough to handle, use a spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice it and serve it warm or at room temperature.


*Note*
The dough can be made (but not rolled out) up to four days before baking. Keep the disk of dough refrigerated, tightly wrapped in plastic.

The tart may be baked up to six hours ahead of serving.

All Butter Pie Crust

Another super simple recipe. This is a go to pie crust when I don't have buttermilk it's a butter pie crust that uses minimal ingredients that most of us have in our refrigerator and pantry daily.  I use this to make fruit pies or savory pies. *When making a savory pie (meat pie) I add herbs and spices to the crust just to make the dish more flavorful.

If you don't have a pastry cutter or a food processor to combine the dry ingredients with the butter you can use a fork.  It may take a little more work but it works just as well.

Be sure to refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours. I myself prefer doing it ahead of time overnight just to cut down on time preparing everything.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced

1/4 cup ice water

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

2.  Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

*  Makes 1 single crust pie

Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust

I love a nice golden flaky crust be it for fruit pies or pot pies. This is another super easy recipe that makes a single pie crust so if you need a bottom and top simply double the recipe.  I used a food processor with this recipe because I used frozen butter and it just makes it easier, but if you don't have a food processor just use cold butter and a pastry cutter or fork to combine dry ingredients with chopped butter.

Flour your surface to knead dough, form into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

After chilling, roll dough out and place in pie dish.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, frozen and diced if using a food processor (chilled           and diced if using a pastry cutter or fork).

1/4 cup ice water

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. 

2.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  I used frozen butter and a food processor for this step, if you don't have a food processor just use cold butter and a pastry cutter or fork.

3.   Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Knead the mixture and form it into a disc.

4.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

5.  Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.