Tiny Raspberry Tarts

It strikes me that the title of this post sounds a little like a new doll line for girls that's a cross between Strawberry Shortcake and those horrible Bratz monstrosities with the giant lips, but I promise it has nothing to do with anything so awful.  Quite the opposite.  I was in need of a little comfort last night, as were a few other folks I know and love, so I made us some very tiny and quick tarts.  I thought I'd share the method with you, since they are really, really good to make for kids, and they couldn't be faster.  

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a large cookie sheet with parchment.
• Roll out two crusts'-worth of pie dough.  You can use homemade or the Pillsbury pre-made stuff. If you use pre-made, roll it out a tiny bit thinner and use both crusts in the box.
• Cut circles in the pastry with a biscuit cutter (or the floured rim of a glass).

• Dab a spoonful of seedless jam (those crafty Trappist monks make a good one and it saves me from straining the seeds) in the center of half the rounds.  Be generous, but also be sure to keep the jam away from the edges.
• Brush a little beaten egg around the edge of each circle to act as glue, then press another circle on top of it.

• Crimp the edges of each circle together with a fork or pastry crimper.
• Brush the tops with a little egg wash to give them a wonderful golden-glazed finish in the oven.
• Make four small slits in the center of each with a sharp knife
• Pop them in the oven.  I baked mine for eight minutes, turned the sheet, and then baked them for about 6 or 7 more minutes until golden brown on top.

• Once they're out of the oven and cooled a bit, you can mix together a few spoonfuls of confectioner's sugar with a tiny splash of milk (regular, almond, soy--whatever you like) and then let the kids drizzle glaze on them with a spoon (or piped through a ziplock baggie with a tiny hole cut in one corner).

Most of them will get eaten straight off the pan, but if there are any left, plate them and enjoy.  They are a fabulous alternative to pop tarts, and you can fill them with anything you like: brown sugar and cinnamon, chocolate, lemon curd, apple or pumpkin butter--whatever tastes good and will fit inside the crusts! 

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.  It's a perfect fall day here.  We spent the morning at a local farm, and tonight's a hayride with the nephews.  Life can be so hard, but I am grateful for those small moments of sweetness, and I savor each and every one of them.  xo