This dessert is super easy to make…promise. It only calls for a few ingredients, you don’t need to touch the oven and even really little kids (3-5) can do it. My “Super Easy Summer Tarts” are my favorite to take to summer bbq’s when my mom won’t let me turn on the oven because it’s too hot outside.
You can make these up a few days before (they actually taste even better after a day or two), just don’t put them in the shells until you’re ready to serve them or they will turn soggy.
Step 1: Clean your fruit
I learned in a cooking class I took that you should always clean your fruit even if it looks clean at the store. The way I do it is put all my fruit in a strainer and run the entire thing under cool water. Shake the strainer a little to shake off some of the water (not too hard, you don’t want to hurt your fruit). No one wants sad fruit hahaha.
Step 2: Dry your fruit
When you are baking with fruit you have to make sure it’s dry. If not the extra water can mess up your recipe and you have to start all over again. I’ve had this happen to me more than once when I’m rushing. My mom always says “Slow your roll” lol.
Double fold a paper towel and put your fruit there to dry. I also sometimes use a baking towel that I use just for drying fruit. It’s faster and you save paper towels.
Step 3: Add your sugar
Next, you want to add your sugar. I like to use regular white sugar, but you can use any type of sugar you want. I’ve made this using Honey, Agave and once I used Stevia.
Step 4: Smash your fruit
Now you have to smash your fruit, this is what makes it turn into a syrup. You can use a fork, a whisk, a blender or for little kids, put it in a Ziplock bag and let little kids squish it with their hands or a rolling pin.
You can also use this same syrup to put on top ice cream, cupcakes or making PBJ sandwiches.
Keep smashing….don’t stop here…almost there.
You know you’re done mixing when it looks like this.
Step 5: Mixing your cream cheese
Now you want to mix your cream cheese. Make sure you start when its soft of this will take a long time. Mine was not soft the first time I made it and it took a while to get smooth. I like using my KitchenAid mixer for this type of stuff but if you don’t have one you can use a hand mixer, fork or put it in a zip lock bag and let little kids squeeze until it mixed.
Keep mixing until it looks stiff like the picture bellow. You should be able to put some on a spoon and turn it upside down without it falling off. If you mixed it too long and it feels a little loose, put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
Step 6: Put in piping bag and fill shells.
If you’re not used to working with piping bags it can be a little tricky at first. The less messy way to do it to put the bag in a tall cup, fold the bag over the edges of the cup and use a spoon to fill. Then squeeze the filling down towards the tip.
Add just a little to fill the bottom of the shell. About the size of a Shopkin (for kids) or a nickel for adults hehe. 🙂
Step 7: Add raspberry sauce
After you put the cream cheese filling in the bottom, use a spoon to fill the shells with the raspberry sauce. Try not to get any of the outsides of the shells so that they look pretty.
Step 8: Top with more cream cheese
After you put the raspberry filling in, add a little more cream cheese filling to the top. Take your time with this and try to make them look as pretty as possible.
Step 9: Add a raspberry
The last step is to add a raspberry to the top to make it look pretty. Try to pick raspberries that look nice and make sure they are dry. A wet raspberry will make your cream cheese runny.
Aren’t these super cute and easy? You can get really creative with these and play with different fruit. I’ve used pineapple, blueberries, and strawberries. You can make these up days in advance if you want to take them to a party, just make sure you don’t put them in the shells until you are ready to eat them or they will get soggy.
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- 1 pkg of phyllo mini shells 12 per package
- 1 pt container of raspberries
- 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar divided.
- 1 tsp almond or other extract optional
- 1 cup whipped topping
Ingredients
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- Rinse raspberries and reserve 12 to add to top of tartlets. Dry these by placing on paper towels.
- Put the rest of the raspberries in a bowl and add sugar.
- Using a whisk (or a fork) macerate raspberries until it turns into a liquid. Set aside.
- In another bowl, using a hand mixer or kitchen aid, add softened cream cheese and sugar. (If using almond or another extract, add now.) Beat on medium until blended and smooth.
- Turn down to low and add whipped topping until blended.
- Add creamy mixture to an icing bag (or strong zip-lock baggie) with a decorative tip.
- Spoon about 1⁄2 - 3⁄4 tsp of raspberry syrup/liquid into each shell.
- Pipe desired amount of creamy mixture on top. (You can also reverse this and put the cream first, then syrup.)
- Top each with a raspberry.
- Serve Immediately.
