Individual Oyster Tarts Recipes

THREE INGREDIENT MINI TART SHELLS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese.
• Gradually add flour until well mixed.
• Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Remove from fridge. Roll into 2-inch balls and place in 24-cup miniature muffin tin .
• Preheat oven to 350 F or 325 F for a dark pan .
• Use fingers to smash balls into tart shell shape. Fill shells with approximately 2 cups of filling, as desired. Depending on filling, the filled shells are baked from 15 to 25 minutes.
• Unfilled shells can be baked for 5 to 10 minutes.

INDIVIDUAL APPLE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a floured surface, roll the pastry out a little thinner than 1/8-inch. Lay on a sheet pan and chill it, then cut out 4-inch disks. Cut decorative shapes from the scrap and bake them off to use later.
• Slice peeled, halved, and cored apples extremely thinly, preferably on a mandoline.
• In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together.
• Lay pastry disks on a parchment lined sheet pan and place 1 cube of butter in the center on each puff pastry disk and a spoonful of cinnamon sugar. Start layering and stacking the apple slices in a concentric circle leaving very little edge showing to make a beehive shape (save the smaller slices for the top layers). It should get smaller as you go up higher.
• When finished, the stack of apple layers should be about 3 inches high. Place a cube of butter at the top and sprinkle the apple stack liberally with cinnamon sugar. You can freeze them at this point. Bake until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.

INDIVIDUAL LEMON MERINGUE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the pastry: Roll the pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 6 (6-inch) rounds. Place the pastry in 6 (4-inch) tart molds. With a knife trim the excess pastry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Line each tart shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill to the rim with pie weights.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the pie weights and parchment from the tart shells and bake for 10 minutes.
• For the filling: Whisk together the lemon juice, eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour the lemon mixture into a medium pot. Place over medium heat and stir with a spatula for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
• Pour the lemon mixture onto a baking sheet and cool completely.
• Spoon the cooled lemon mixture or curd into the baked tart shells.
• For the meringue: Beat the egg whites with the vanilla extract and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Continue beating while adding the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. The finished meringue should have stiff glossy peaks. Mound the meringue on top of the tarts.
• Make sure there is a good seal between the meringue and the edge of the crust. Bake the tarts in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the molds.
• Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the butter and shortening into the flour. Combine the mixture with your fingers until it resembles cornmeal. Add the ice cold water and mix with a spoon, pulling the water into the flour until a dough forms.
• With your hands, shape the dough into 2 balls and flatten them into disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.

ATLANTIC BEACH TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and sugar; pulse until combined. Firmly press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until crust is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, whisk together condensed milk and egg yolks until thoroughly combined. Add citrus juice and whisk to combine. Pour filling into tart shell and bake until filling is set, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve garnished with whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.

OYSTER TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over moderately high heat.
• Stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk & cream cheese, until smooth.
• Bring to a simmer, whisking.
• Stir in the onion, garlic powder and bay leaf and simmer over low heat, whisking, until no floury taste remains, 10 minutes.
• Pass through a coarse strainer set over a small bowl; discard the bay leaf, and add lemon juice.
• Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper.
• Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the sauce.
• In a small bowl, combine the panko and cheese and stir in the olive oil.
• Arrange the phyllo shells on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Place an oyster in each shell.
• Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the horseradish sauce into each shell, and sprinkle the panko mixture on top.
• Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 10 minutes, until hot throughout and crisp on top.
• Serve right away.

QUICK'N'EASY SEAFOOD TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F; arrange tart shells on a baking sheet.
• Into each shell, place 2 tsp of your favourite seafood; this recipe will also work with chopped ham, chopped asparagus etc, so use your imagination!
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, egg and mustard; I like to also add the fresh dill because I like its taste, but leave it out or substitute if you don't want dill.
• Distribute cream mixture evenly among the tarts and then bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden and"custard" is set.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.