Sweetheart Strawberry Tartlets Food

STRAWBERRY TARTLETS

Steps:

• Put the strawberries on a flat surface and cut them, widthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices. The slices should be thin enough to bend slightly when you cut them.
• Using a vegetable peeler and, with a light touch, remove the zest from half of the lemon. Try to remove the zest in small pieces and leave the pith (the white part) behind. Juice the lemon and the lime and add them to a bowl along with the zest, sugar and strawberries. Cover the bowl and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar and flour into a medium bowl. Use your hands to push the sugar and flour through the strainer to make it easier. Stir in the melted butter and the orange juice. Stir to blend.
• Invert a baking sheet and put it on a flat surface. Coat it with a thin layer of nonstick spray as an added precaution against sticking. Spoon a generous teaspoon of the batter near the corner of the sheet and use a small offset spatula to spread it thinly into a small, imperfect oval. Take care to leave space between each oval because they will spread when they are baked. You should be able to fit about 12 on the tray.
• Bake them in the oven until light brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven. Put the tray by the inverted muffin tin. Use the offset spatula to lift the shells, 1 by 1, off the tray. Using your fingers, put a shell over the muffin tin bottom, pressing down to create a tart shell. The sides will overlap or be higher than the muffin hole. Your goal is to make a tart shell to fill with the strawberries. Repeat with the remaining shells. Allow them to cool.
• Strain the liquid from the strawberries and pour it into a small pan. Reduce over medium heat until it becomes syrupy and thick. Pour it back over the strawberries and toss to blend. Return to the refrigerator to chill again. When ready to serve, put a small dollop of sour cream in the bottom of each shell and top with some of the strawberries. Sprinkle with a touch of granulated sugar. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY 4-POINT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (5-inch) squares. Place the pastry squares onto a baking sheet. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
• Stir the jam and vinegar in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Add the strawberries and black pepper and toss to coat. Spoon about 1/4 cup strawberry mixture in the center of each pastry square. Fold the pastry corners over the filling to the center and twist the points firmly to seal. Brush with the egg mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Serve each with 1/2 cup ice cream, if desired.