Blueberry Cheese Tarts

Given a choice between cakes and tarts, I rather pick cakes but I can't resist a yummy creamy tart like this one either. Today I baked my favorite blueberry cheese tarts! They say you will get a perfect shell if you prepare the dough a day before and keep it chilled, I didn't have that time. Or to be more honest, I didn't have the patience.  It turned out yummy still, so I'm happy. 

The Recipe (yields around 12 medium tarts)

The shell

Ingredients

85 g Butter

15 g Confectioner's Sugar

145 g All Purpose Flour (sifted)

1/2 Small Egg ( Use your discretion but avoid adding too much of the whites as it may give a hard crust)

Vanilla Extract

Steps

• Beat the butter and sugar till creamy (not pale like for cake)
• Mix the egg and vanilla extract using a whisk
• Add the flour in 2 batches. Mix with your hands till a soft dough forms.
• Wrap in cling film and keep chilled for 30 minutes if using immediately, or store overnight.
• Take a lime sized dough and press around the tart moulds.
• Fix the edges with a knife. ( Run the knife on the top, cutting the extra dough on the sides.). Prick the bottom with a fork as shown in the picture.
• Bake in a 170C preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

The Filing

Ingredients

It should be a little runny, don't worry.

130 g Cream Cheese 

20 g Caster Sugar

1/2 Small egg (the remaining egg )

Vanilla Extract

Colorings (if you desire to decorate)

Blueberry jam of your choice

Steps

• Cream the cheese and sugar with a beater
• Add the egg and vanilla extract, mix at low speed.

Preparing the tart

Fill or pipe in a pea sized amount of blueberry jam into the baked shells. ( I used Steffi's)

Pour/ Pipe in the cream cheese mixture.

Decorate the tart with the colorings ( I made a cherry deco)

Bake the assembled tarts in a 170C preheated oven for 5 minutes.

I like my tarts chilled so I store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It lasts longer this way as well. You may replace the blueberry jam with other fruit jam and make a whole new flavor, that's up to you. Good luck!

Renuka G