Title: Individual Almond-Cream Tarts
Categories: Dessert
Yield: 20 Servings
| 2 1/2 | c | Flour,all-purpose |
| 2/3 | c | Butter or margarine,cold |
| 1/2 | c | Water,cold |
| 2 | | Eggs,separated |
| 2 | pk | Vanilla pudding(3 3/8oz) |
| 2 1/2 | c | Milk |
| 1 | c | Whipping cream |
| 1 | ts | Almond extract |
| 1 | cn | Mandarin-orange sect.(11oz) |
| 1 | | Kiwifruit,medium |
| 5 | | Strawberries,large |
| 1/4 | lb | Grapes,green,seedless |
| 1 | | Chocolate square,unsweetened |
| 5 1/2 | oz | Apple jelly |
| 1 | ts | Water |
1. Whip cream. Drain mandarin-orange sections. Peel and slice kiwifruit.
Coarsely grate chocolate square. Prepare tart shells; Into medium-sized
bowl, measure flour and butter or margarine. With fingertips, blend flour
and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In cup, beat cold water
with egg yolks. Add yolk mixture to flour mixture, stirring to mix well.
Shape pastry into a ball.
2. Preheat oven to 400'F. On well-floured surface, with floured rolling
pin, roll pastry 1/8"-thick. With floured 4 1/4" round cookie cutter, cut
out 20 pastry circles, rerolling trimmings if necessary. Gently press each
circle onto bottom and up side of fluted tart pan (or use twenty-four 2
1/2" muffin-pan cups, and cut circles with a 3 1/2" round cookie cutter).
With fork, prick pastry in many places. Arrange tart pans in 2 jelly-roll
pans for easy handling. Bake 20-25 minutes until pastry is lightly
browned.
3. In cup, beat egg whites until frothy. Quickly brush hot tart shells with
beaten egg whites. Cool tart shells in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. With
knife, gently loosen tart shells from sides of pans; remove from pans; cool
completely on wire racks, about 20 mintes.
4. When tarts shells are cool, prepare cream filling. Prepare 2 packages of
instant pudding mix as label directs, but prepare both packages together
and use only a total of only 2 1/2 cups milk. With rubber spatula, fold
whipped cream and almond extract into pudding.
5. Spoon filling into tart shells. Decorate some filled tart shells with
mandarin-orange sections, some with kiwifruit, some with strawberries, some
with grapes, and some with chocolate.
6. Prepare glaze: In small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat apple jelly
with water, stirring often, until jelly melts and mixture is smooth; brush
over fruit. Let glaze dry, about 10 minutes. Cover tarts and refrigerate.