Better Homes and Gardens® 365 Pies & Tarts

Strawberry-Cheesecake Tartlets

prep 25 minutes bake 15 minutes oven at 350°F chill 2 to 24 hours makes 24 tartlets

1 cup all-purpose ?our
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ground toasted almonds
1/4 cup cold butter
1 egg yolk
2 to 3 tablespoons water
1 4-serving-size package cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup strawberry preserves Sliced strawberries and/or toasted sliced almonds

1 In a medium bowl stir together ?our, sugar, and ground almonds. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until pieces are pea size. In a small bowl slightly beat egg yolk with a fork; stir in 2 tablespoons of the water. Gradually stir the egg mixture into the ?our mixture just until combined. If necessary, add enough of the additional 1 tablespoon water to make a dough that starts to cling together. Gather ?our mixture into a ball; gently knead just until smooth. If necessary, cover pastry with plastic wrap; chill about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 24 balls. Press balls evenly onto the bottoms and up the sides of 24 ungreased 1 3/4-inch muffin cups. Bake about 15 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove cooled shells from pan.

3 For filling, in a medium bowl beat pudding mix, evaporated milk, vanilla, and almond extract with an electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes or until smooth and ?uffy. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the filling into each shell. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

4 Before serving, top each tartlet with about 1/2 teaspoon of the preserves, a strawberry slice, and/or a few sliced almonds.

nutrition facts per tartlet:
96 cal., 3 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 17 mg chol., 86 mg sodium, 15 g carb., 0 g dietary ?ber, 9 g sugar, 2 g protein.

Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare as directed through Step 3. Layer tartlets between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Chill for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator before serving. Continue with Step 4.

Better Homes and Gardens ® 365 Pies & Tarts © 2012 by Meredith Corporation