Valentine Tarts

Since it's close to Valentine's Day and the weather outside isn't all that great, I thought I'd play around with making a heart shaped treat.  I got the idea for this treat from Pinterest, but when I went to click on the link, there was no recipe attached...so I'm making this one up from scratch.  The basic concept is using pie crust and then adding cream cheese, raspberry jam, and mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4-5 tablespoons ice water
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup raspberry jam (or substitute your favorite flavor)
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash (optional)
Colored Sugar (optional)

Mix the flour, salt, and butter together with a pastry knife until the mixture resembles pea size balls.  Then add the almond extract and water - 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.  Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out pieces of dough.  Place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  (Note : you will need two heart for every tart you make.)

Next spread a small amount of cream cheese on every heart, add a small amount of rasperry jam, and then sprinkle on a few mini chocolate chips.

Cover with another dough heart and then use a fork dipped in water to seal the edges of the heart.

If you'd like a little color and extra sweetness for your tarts, brush the tops of the hearts with an egg wash (beat an egg and tablespoon of water together) and the sprinkle with sugar or colored sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

This recipe makes about 24 tarts.

Dough ready to roll out.

Hearts cut out of dough

Prepping the hearts with cream cheese, jam, and chocolate chips

Crimping the edges of the tarts

Finished Tarts