Monday, October 26, 2009

Recipe Box: Blueberry tarts with pecan struesel


I made these with a layer of cream cheese filling for the Halloween party this past weekend, but I didn't like the way they turned out. The cream cheese made it taste doughy. I'd recommend just using fruit. And, of course, you can use any kind of fruit you'd like, substitute fresh fruit, and/or make the pie crust from scratch and/or substitute phyllo.

I'd also recommend letting them cool in the pan for a while. The reason these are so misshapen is that I was using a single pan and had to get them out right away to re-use it for the next batch.

To make 18 tarts:

cupcake/muffin pan
3 refrigerated pie crusts
1 drinking glass or round cookie cutter approx. 3" diameter
4-6 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
If using frozen blueberries, toss them (frozen) with 2 tablespoons corn starch until lightly coated.
1/2 to 1 cup flour

For streusel:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Ok, but don't freak out over the mayonnaise. Remember that it's just egg, oil and vinegar, not anything weird. It will smell funny when it's raw, but once it bakes that sharp tang will disappear and it will just taste awesome. If you're really not willing to try the mayonnaise in the streusel (and I highly recommend you at least try it) then substitute 1/2 cup softened butter.

Note: DO NOT TRY THIS WITH MIRACLE WHIP. You will get a gooey, nasty mess. Use regular, full-fat mayo.


ASSEMBLY

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Add the streusel ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until everything is evenly mixed and moistened

Follow the directions on the pie crust to bring to room temperature.

Sprinkle the muffin tins and a clean countertop with flour

lay the pie crust out on the countertop

Use the glass or cookie cutter to cut circles from the pie crust. Group them carefully and close together and you can get 6 circles out of each 9" crust

use each circle to line a cup in the muffin tin, pushing it gently into the bottom so that it touches the bottom and sides

fill each pie crust cup with blueberries (frozen blueberries can be slightly heaped above the top, as they will settle down during baking)

Top each with 2 Tablespoons Streusel

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and pie crust is slightly browned. Frozen blueberries may need an additional 10 minutes to bake.

Allow to cool for at least 10-20 minutes in tin before removing to cookie rack or plate to finish cooling. The easiest way to remove these from the tin is with a fork.

You could try baking these in actual cupcake papers if you'd like a version that's easier to pass around for a potluck.

2 comments:

jaed said...

Nom nom nom.

You might also try pre-baking the crust - put the crusts in, brush with a little egg white, and bake for maybe 10 minutes, until they start to set up but aren't brown.

Pre-baking seals the outer surface of the crust so the filling doesn't soak in and make it wet, which I think would help with the slumping when you take them out while warm. (It sort of sets the shape of the crust.)

jwright said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.