Strawberry Peach Rhubarb Tartlets - Chicago Food Photographer
/So many people asked for the recipe for these sweet little tartlets so I figured I’d just do a blog post on them! I kind of made up my own thing, as I’m not one to really follow recipes strictly, and I am definitely not known to use exact measurements. I wing things when I cook and bake - life’s just easier that way for me!
I’m also thee messiest person in the kitchen and I am horrible at remembering to take photos of all of the steps, so this isn’t your traditional food blog post but that’s ok because I’m not a food blogger, right?! I just document it - my recipes are a hot mess and follow no protocol. Ever! It’s kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure deal whenever I’m in the kitchen and that’s where I thrive. You’ve been warned.
The Key is to Use Fresh Fruit!
The fresher the better and it’s currently strawberry AND peach season. Even found some fresh rhubarb at the grocery, and although I’d never used rhubarb with peaches before, I was amazed at how lovely this tasted. The bitterness of the rhubarb blends so well with the sweetness of the peaches & strawberries.
Jazz it up with Your Spices
I used nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, agave and salt. Also used lemon zest, coconut sugar and a bit of orange extract (my favorite secret weapon in the kitchen!)
Cheat - Use Pre-Made Dough
I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells and it made life simple. I baked them like the package said, and then scooped out the top so I could add the fruit filling. I then put the “top” back on over the fruit filling and baked a few minutes longer to seal the deal. Like a little fruit sandwich snack. Let cool for a while and then top with greek yogurt, whipped topping or ice cream. I garnished with mint & thin slices of peaches & strawberries. Finally, devour. The best cheat you can make, though, is to find someone to make it FOR you while you just get to sit back and take in all of that summery flavor. At least that’s what I would love for someone to do for me…
Recipe
Ingredients - This only makes 6 pastry cups so if you want more, double or triple the recipe!
1 package Pepperidge Farm Pastry Shells
1 longer stalk of rhubarb - sliced
1 cup strawberries - sliced
1 peach - sliced
Sugar - I used coconut, just a bit (maybe a quarter cup) because I also used some agave nectar for sweetness.
Agave nectar - Maybe 2 Tablespoons. I don’t measure & there’s already so much sweetness in the fruit- don’t judge!
A couple dashes each of cinnamon, nutmeg & ground ginger.
Half of a lemon - zested
A couple squirts of orange extract
Yogurt, Whipped Cream or Ice Cream for topping. (I used Lemon Noosa yogurt - so tangy!)
Strawberries or peaches - sliced for garnish
Steps to mouth-watering goodness
Bake the pastry cups according to package. Like the package states, once done baking, scoop off the top and inside part. But don’t toss those beauties & keep your oven on after these are done baking!!! I used mine at the end for a little extra sweet crunch on top.
In a large saucepan, combine all of your sliced fruit with all other ingredients except the toppings (ie yogurt/whipped cream). (You could put it all in a bowl and stir just to transfer it to the saucepan but I am an energy efficient baker and this saves a step and a dirty dish!) Stir really well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low heat and cook the fruit down til it’s “saucy” but not too runny. I think it was about 10 minutes.
Once all good and saucy, spoon the filling into your hole-y pastry cups. I added mine to the top but not overflowing. Replace the tops of the cup that I told you not to discard, and bake another 5 or so minutes to seal the deal.
Remove from oven and let cool. If you can’t wait to devour, add your topping of choice and eat shortly after out of the oven when it’s not so-hot-it-will-burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth hot.
