As a child of Chinese immigrants, the oven was not an appliance I saw my parents using. My mom cooked dinner for us every night, and not once did I see her crack open the oven. Because of my lack of familiarity with baking and the exact science that is often necessary, I mostly stayed away from the daunting task of baking from scratch.
I wanted to be more proficient in baking in order to expand my repertoire of dishes, but I didn’t know where to begin. This recipe for mini fruit tarts is a great starting place. It is simple, with only a few ingredients and step, but it has a great wow factor for entertaining. They can be made ahead of time or on the day of, and they are perfect for large gatherings.
For the Filling
2 tablespoons Kool-Aid Easy Mix
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
Fresh fruit
For the Tart Shells
1½ sticks unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup powdered sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
Making the Filling
To make the filling, start by beating the cream cheese to a creamy, smooth consistency. The cream cheese should be at room temperature for the best results. After beating the cream cheese, add the Kool-Aid mix and powdered sugar. Mix the ingredients until they combine well.
Making the Tart Shells
Take the powdered sugar and butter and mix them using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Next, beat the sugar and butter for approximately two minutes until creamy. Add salt and all-purpose flour to the mixture and mix further until the dough comes together. You will know that the dough is ready when it begins to stick to the stand mixer’s paddle attachment.
After this process, you are ready to make the tart shells for your mini fruit tart. Take two tablespoons of dough and pressing it to the sides and bottom of the mini fruit tart pans. This recipe should yield about 14 mini-tarts. To prevent the tart dough from rising much as you bake, prick the dough with a fork before baking.
Bake the tarts for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch for the shells to turn a light golden color. Then extract the tart shells from the oven and set them aside to cool.
The Final Steps
Once the tart shells have cooled, it is time to do the final touches on your tarts. Take your tart sheets and pipe them with filling.Top up the mini fruit tarts with raspberries, kiwi, blueberries, or whatever else you may have on hand. To make your fruit tarts pop, you can arrange them in fun patterns or creative designs. These tarts can be served with whipped cream, ice cream, or all on their own.
