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What do you call that? Delicious.

 (Petit Strawberry Tartlets)

by Mary Courtney Blake

On one particularly sun-filled day this week, I found myself suddenly pulling into the parking lot of my local farmer’s market, my mouth watering in anticipation of deliciousness.  I was not disappointed.  This happens to be the glorious time of year in Carolina when the Piedmont blooms red with strawberries.

Purchasing my pint of perfectly ripe strawberries, I rushed home to transform them into one of my friends’ favorite springtime treats.  I use these pastries when I want to impress, when I want to really offer something special.  I offer them now to you, my faithful readers so that you too may impress.

Petit Strawberry Tartlets

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry

Strawberries

Cream Cheese

Chevre/Goat Cheese

Powdered Sugar

Vanilla

Spearmint Leaves (optional garnish)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out your favorite puff pastry to a thickness of approximately 1/8” to 3/16”.  I suggest that you make your own dough as you can make it up to a day or two in advance.  However, if time is a concern use a store bought dough if you must.

Using a cookie cutter (or the lid of a jar or rim of a glass) cut out circles that are approximately 2” in diameter.

Lay out your pastry circles on a baking sheet. 

Bake them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until they have puffed up and are slightly golden.

While your pastry is in the oven, gather your ingredients for the cream cheese frosting: Cream Cheese, Powdered Sugar and Vanilla.

Put the cream cheese in a bowl (I use 4 oz. for 16-20 pastries) and vigorously stir in powdered sugar and vanilla to taste.  (A little vanilla goes a long way.)

Now it's time to gather your strawberries!

Placing them on a cutting board, take a sharp knife and cut off the tops of your strawberries then slice them length-wise into approximately 3/16" widths.

Now, it's probably time to take your pastry out of the oven.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer your pastry circles to a cooling rack.

While your pastry is cooling, load a piping bag with the cream cheese frosting (if you don't have one, a quart sized zip-top storage bag with a snipped corner will do).  Once the pastry is cooled, frost liberally.

Assemble your Petit Strawberry Tartlets by placing a strawberry slice vertically (wide end down) into the frosting.

Now take the goat cheese and scoop tiny dollops next to the strawberries using a 1/8t measurer.  Garnish with slivers of fresh mint.  Enjoy!