#98_Sweet Potato Cream Tarts

No-bake, Bite-size Dessert.

My dear husband had a bad experience with
sweet potatoes when he was a kid and never liked them anymore after that.
So I had to persuade him to test taste these tarts.
After I handed him one to try, it took him awhile before he put it in his mouth.
When he finally did,I was anticipating a cringed or pulled face, but to
my amazement he bit and swallowed it like he was eating his
favorite cheese cake.
This recipe won him over!

The taste is comparable to that of cheesecake or cream pie
and has several interesting textures going on in just one bite such as the following:
Flakiness from the shells, crunchiness from the nuts, and smoothness from the sweet potatoes.
The cream cheese and the marshmallow creme give it an incredibly good taste.
An addition of sugar is unnecessary as the sweet potatoes have natural sweetness already in them. Although the butterscotch caramel added an extra sweetness to the filling,
it did not result in a cloyingly sweet dessert.

This recipe is my second entry to the
North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission,
a recipe contest for bloggers where I was invited to join by manang.
Thank you manang!

This recipe only calls for a few ingredients. The main ingredient, of course,
is the sweet potato.
I used the store-bought shells so that is one less preparation to do.
Maybe next time when I get a little ambitious,
I will make the shells out of phyllo dough sheets,
but for now I am using "fill and serve" shells.

Here's the ingredients:

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 small jar of marshmallow creme
1/2 cup chopped nuts for filling
2 packs (15 counts each) Fill-and-Serve pastry shells

chopped nuts for garnish

Chopped pecans can be added in the filling or used for garnish, or both.

For the filling:
1) Boil and mash about 2 medium size sweet potatoes.
2) Mix in the softened cream cheese.
4) Fold in the marshmallow creme.
5) Add in the chopped nuts.

Your friends would think you worked all day to make this dessert,
but after you boil the sweet potatoes,little would they know, you can actually put this together in just a few minutes.

The finale:

1) Fill tart shells with the filling.
2) Top them with chopped nuts.
3) Drizzle with butterscotch caramel.
4) Chill for about 2 hours before serving.

That's it! very simple and yet incredibly good!!

#57_FRUIT TARTS

Bite-size Fruit Tarts topped with fresh kiwi and raspsberry fruits and canned pineapple tidbits.

This is one of the desserts I made over the holidays (see NOCHE BUENA entry) unfortunately, I did not have time to post the recipe then, afterall, this dessert is good for any occasion. In fact, the lady I got the recipe from had made these tarts for summer weddings.

The tart shells are made from butter cookie recipe. After mixing all the ingredients, form dough into a log or ball and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours in the fridge. The reason I form the dough this way is because it is easier to cut them into pieces by just using a knife.

TART PRESS
is a very indispensable tool when making these tart shells.

Baked tart shells ready to be filled with cream cheese fillings and fruit toppings.

a) recipe for TART SHELLS : (BUTTER COOKIES)

1 lb. butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

1 egg

4 cups all purpose flour

PROCEDURE:

1) cream together sugar and butter

2) stir in the egg

3) add flour and mix well

4) knead mixture by hand until smooth

5) form dough into 2 logs or balls,

6) wrap doughs with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

7) when ready to make cookies, grease tart moulds with shortening

8) cut doughs into about 200 pieces and form each piece into 1 inch balls

9) press each dough balls into the tart shells with a tart press

10) arrange tart shells onto a cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated 325 degrees oven for 10 minutes or until the edges of cookies turn light brown.

11) fill with cream cheese fillings and top with your favorite fruits

b) CREAM CHEESE FILLINGS:

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 (12oz) cool whip

1 cup powdered sugar

PROCEDURE:

1) cream the cream cheese until light

2) add sugar, beat until well blended

3) fold in the cool whip

NOTES:

1) Flour the TART PRESS before pressing it onto the dough
2) You can substitute sliced fresh strawberries when available..they look elegant.
3) Tart shells can be made few days ahead. Store them in airtight container.

Updated: 9-22-10

Fruit tarts topped with raspberries, strawberries, pineapple tidbits(not pictured)

Filled with baked cheesecakes (New York style)

These shells are made of Chocolate Cookie dough sans the chocolate chips and are molded and baked in mini muffin pans for about 8-10 on 325 degrees oven. After taking them out of the oven while still very hot, press each tart shell down with the tart press before unmolding. Let them cool on wire rack.