1 1/4 c All-purpose flour
2 tb Sugar
1/4 tb Salt
2 tb Cold unsalted butter; cut
-into 4 pieces
4 tb Cold lard; cut into 8 pieces
1 Egg; lightly beaten
1/4 c Cream cheese; softened
3/4 c Farmers cheese; softened
1/2 c Sugar
1 lg Egg yolk
1 ts Ground cinnamon
1/4 ts Salt
1 sm Bunch Red seedless grapes;
-halved
In a chilled mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, butter, and lard.
Rub the flour and fat together with your fingertips until the mixture is
flaky and the consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Drizzle half of the
beaten egg over and toss until the dough comes together, adding the
remaining egg if necessary to bind the dough. Gather the dough into a
compact ball and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the
dough into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. With a cookie cutter or the
rim of a glass, cut the dough into 3 1/2-inch rounds. Gather the scraps
into a ball, reroll them and cut more rounds. Repeat until you have used
all the dough. Fit the dough rounds into ungreased 2 1/2-inch tart pans or
the cups of a muffin pan, pressing them gently against the bottoms and
sides to form deep molds. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to
firm the dough. Place the tins on a baking sheet and bake for about 20
minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown. Set the shells aside in their
tins to cool. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric
mixer or with a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese, farmers cheese, and
sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, cinnamon, and salt
and beat until smooth. Spoon the filling into the tart shells, dividing it
evenly, and filling up to within 1/4-inch of the top. Bake in the middle of
the oven for 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and doesn’t jiggle
when shaken. Cool the tarts to room temperature and carefully slip them out
of their tins. Serve, garnished with a few grape halves. This recipe yields
12 tarts.
Yields
12 servings