Little, Luscious and Easy-as-Pie!

SO simple.

SO cute.

SO luscious!

During some food-styling downtime at a recent location shoot, Cathy concocted this elegant little tart. Of course, we thought it was beautiful, so we raced to put it on the set, and voilà!  Do you love it??

Cathy started with a small, good quality shortbread cookie for the base. She used LU, a readily available shortbread cookie with an adorable crimped edge. She topped the cookie with a tablespoon of prepared lemon curd, then garnished with a tiny dollop of whipped cream, a blueberry, and some lemon zest.

This is the perfect no-cook, no-bake recipe for those last-minute get-togethers when you’re short of time,  but still looking for a dessert with some “wow” power. Just keep the ingredients on hand, and you can be turning out tarts at a moment’s notice.

Here are some other sweet tarts to consider:

Chocolate Tart:  shortbread cookie, a tablespoon of prepared chocolate pudding, a dab of whipped cream, a raspberry, & chocolate shavings

Butterscotch Tart:  shortbread cookie, a tablespoon of prepared butterscotch pudding, a dab of whipped cream, & chopped toasted pecans

Key Lime Tart: shortbread cookie, a tablespoon of prepared lime curd, a dab of whipped cream, & lime zest

Heather

Valentine’s Tiramisu for Two

When planning a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for two, dessert is a must!  An indulgent combination of mascarpone cheese, coffee liqueur, cocoa and ladyfingers, Tiramisu is perfect for special occasions. For an elegant presentation, I serve the Tiramisu in wine goblets. Ladyfingers (spongecake cookies) may be hard to find in grocery stores, so I substitute Walkers Shortbread Cookies. They  have a uniquely rich texture and a melt-in-your-mouth buttery flavor, plus they do not get as mushy as ladyfingers in a Tiramisu recipe. Look for Walkers’ signature red plaid packaging in the cookie aisle.

Tiramisu for Two

Makes 2 servings

2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur
1 tablespoon brewed coffee
8 shortbread cookies, such as Walkers Pure Butter Vanilla Shortbread
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 container (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese
1 square (1 oz) semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

– In small bowl stir together coffee liqueur and coffee.  Brush both sides of  6 of the shortbread cookies with coffee mixture.  Cut each cookie in half.

– In medium bowl beat heavy cream and 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff peaks form.

– In separate medium bowl, beat mascarpone cheese and 1/4-cup sugar.  Fold in whipped cream.

–  In each of two wine goblets, place 3 cookie halves.  Spoon 1/4 of cheese mixture over cookies. Repeat layers.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours so that cookies soften slightly.

– Meanwhile, in small bowl, microwave chocolate on High 40 seconds, then stir until melted.  Using a small spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over remaining 2 cookies.

– Just before serving, use a fine sieve to lightly sprinkle each dessert with cocoa.  Garnish each dessert with a chocolate-drizzled cookie.

Cathy