
Mini Cream Cheese-Jam Flower Tarts
These mini flower tarts just might be the cutest dessert you’ll make all season. Perfect for birthday parties, spring gatherings or Easter brunch, guests are guaranteed to “ooh” and “ahh” over the adorable sugar-dusted petals and the colorful, creamy filling.
Ingredients
- 1 box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
- ½ cup plus 1 to 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 oz (from 8-oz package) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup jam or preserves (raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, apricot), stirred well
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1 Tart
Calories 110 (Calories from Fat 50); Total Fat 5g; (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 80mg; Potassium 10mg; Total Carbohydrate 14g; (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 7g); Protein 0g
% Daily Value: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 0%
Exchanges: 0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Preparation
- Heat oven to 450°F. Remove one crust from pouch. On lightly floured surface, unroll crust, and roll to 12-inch circle. With 3 1/2- to 4-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut 8 flowers from crust; repeat for remaining crust.
- Carefully place 1 cutout inside each of 16 ungreased mini muffin cups, staggering them every other cup among 3 pans, and firmly pressing them down into bottom. Gently fold petals flat around top of pan.
- Prick bottom and sides a few times with fork. Bake two pans 5 to 7 minutes or until light golden brown, then bake remaining pan. For all pans, cool 5 minutes in pan; gently remove shells from pan to cool on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Using fine-mesh sieve, lightly sprinkle petals with the 1 to 2 teaspoons powdered sugar.
- In small bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed 1 to 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and the 1/2 cup powdered sugar; beat until smooth. Pipe or spoon 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture into each shell, carefully smoothing tops. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the jam on top of cream cheese layer on each, and carefully spread to cover cream cheese filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips
- If you only have 1 or 2 mini muffin pans, bake in batches and be sure to cool them completely before adding the remaining pie crust cutouts for baking. Spacing the pie cutouts in the pan allows for enough room for petals without having to overlap them.
- We used a Wilton™ flower-shaped cookie cutter with more pronounced petals, which worked well and gave us the best "flower" look. The pronounced petals were easy to fold over the top edges of pan without having to stretch the pie crust too much.
- Pie crust shells can be made the day ahead. Store them loosely covered at room temperature before filling them the next day.
- Use an assortment of jams or preserves for fun color and flavor variety.