Sweet Cheese Tarts Recipes

KAT'S CHEESECAKE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk 5 cups flour, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut lard into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk cold water, 1 egg, and vinegar together in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of flour-lard mixture. Pour egg mixture into well and mix until dough forms.
• Divide dough into fourths; wrap 3/4 of the dough in plastic wrap. Form the remaining 1/4 of the dough into 12 balls and flatten each ball into a disc. Press each disc into the bottom and up the sides of a muffin cup.
• Beat cream cheese and white sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Add 1/3 cup melted margarine, milk, 2 eggs, and vanilla extract to cream cheese mixture; beat until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared muffin cups.
• Mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup melted margarine together in a bowl with a fork until crumbly, adding more flour and brown sugar as necessary until crumb topping has desired consistency. Sprinkle topping over each muffin cup.
• Bake in preheated oven until filling is set, 12 to 15 minutes.

QUEIJADAS DE SINTRA (PORTUGUESE CHEESE TARTS WITH CINNAMON)

Steps:

• For the pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
• With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the texture of fine meal.
• Forking briskly, drizzle just enough ice water over the mixture to make it hold together.
• Shape into a ball, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate several hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade (or in a blender or electric mixer set at highest speed), process the mozzarella, butter, sugar, and cinnamon about 60 seconds nonstop until smooth and creamy.
• Scrape down the work bowl sides with a rubber spatula and beat 60 seconds longer.
• Note: It will take longer for the electric mixer to reduce the mixture to creaminess, perhaps 3 to 4 minutes of steady beating.
• Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the flour and pulse the motor on once or twice to blend.
• Transfer the mixture to a small bowl; cover and chill several hours.
• When ready to bake the queijadas, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Divide the pastry in half and roll, first one half, then the other, as thin as paper, on a lightly floured pastry cloth with a lightly floured, stockinette-covered rolling pin.
• Cut into rounds with a 3 1/2 inch cutter.
• Also re-roll and cut the scraps.
• Fit the pastry into plain or fluted tart tins measuring 2 1/2 inches across the top.
• Set the tins on baking sheets, then half-fill each tart shell with the cheese mixture.
• Bake uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes, just until the filling is puffy and a rich amber brown.
• Remove the tarts from the oven, cool until easy to handle; then using a small pointed knife, gently pry the tarts from the tins.
• Serve at room temperature.

SWEET RICOTTA CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon orange peel, salt, and baking powder in food processor. Add butter and blend until coarse meal forms. Add 2 eggs and blend until moist clumps form. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead to combine well, about 1 minute. Divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger. Wrap and chill smaller piece. Press larger piece over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Using electric mixer, beat ricotta cheese, cream cheese, cornstarch, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, and 2 eggs. Transfer filling to dough-lined tart pan. Roll out chilled dough piece to 10-inch round. Place round over tart; trim excess dough. Press edges of tart to seal. Cut 4 slits in top of tart. Bake tart until golden and puffed, about 1 hour. Cool completely.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE TART

Steps:

• For Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Place butter in mixer and beat with paddle until soft and light.
• Gradually beat in sugar.
• Beat 5-10 minutes until the mixture is very light and whitened.
• Mix flour in gradually until completely mixed. Don't over beat.
• Gather dough and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate about 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough, place a large spring form pan upside down in the middle of the dough and cut roughly ½ inch out from pan.
• Place cookie dough inside pan and bake for 15 minutes.
• Cream Cheese Filling: With wire whisk attachment beat soften cream cheese at highest speed until completely smooth and fluffy.
• Add sugar and vanilla.
• Beat for about 5 more minutes.
• Spread filling on crust, the crust does not have to be completely cooled.
• I start the filling when I pull the crust out of the oven.
• Now cover the top with sliced strawberries.
• Do not add sugar to the strawberries because it makes it to watery.
• Chill and serve!

LEMON CHEESECAKE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. On a work surface, unroll crusts. Cut 24 circles with a floured 3-in. scalloped round cookie cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary. Press circles onto bottoms and partway up sides of ungreased muffin cups, smoothing edges. Prick bottoms generously with a fork., Bake until light golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and vanilla until blended; beat in 1/4 cup lemon curd. Fold in a third of the whipped topping, then fold in remaining topping., Spoon 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture into each tart shell; top each with 1 teaspoon lemon curd. Top with blueberries; refrigerate until serving. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, thawed strawberries, and any strawberry juice in a heavy pot over medium heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil, being careful not to burn the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, 15 to 30 minutes. Place syrup in the refrigerator to chill, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 24-cup mini muffin tins.
• Cut butter into flour until well mixed and granular. Mix in just enough water (1 tablespoon at a time) to make a dough.
• Roll dough on a floured working surface with a floured rolling pin until very thin and almost transparent. Use a large round cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Lightly press circles into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Meanwhile, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, and whipping cream together until well mixed.
• Fill each cooled pastry crust with cream cheese filling, then drizzle with strawberry syrup and garnish with mint leaves.

SWEET LEMON & GOAT'S CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roll out the pastry and use to line a 20cm loose-bottom tart tin, about 3-4cm deep. Chill for 30 mins. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans.
• Bake for 15 mins, then remove the paper and beans. Brush the inside of the tart with a little of the beaten egg, then return to the oven for 5 mins to crisp. Remove and reduce heat to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
• Stir the zest, juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then beat in the remaining eggs and crème fraîche. Tip into a jug. Put the tart case on a baking sheet in the oven and pour in the lemon mixture. Sprinkle over the goat's cheese, then bake for 1 hour-1 hour 10 mins, until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Serve warm or cold, topped with fruit.