SANDRA'S TRI-CITRUS COCONUT CREAM CHEESE TART

The most delicious and decadent dessert, as is...
or with or without any type of topping...

Yield: (One 11" Tart) - Serves: 8-10

Prep: 20 Mins.

Bake: 20 Mins.

--Cool:  2 Hrs. at room temperature

--Refrigerate: Overnight

INGREDIENTS:

Nilla Wafer Crust:

2 cups finely crushed nilla wafers (about 50 wafers)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Pinch of salt

Filling:

1 (14-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk, chilled overnight
----(you'll use only the solid coconut cream on top of can,
-----NOT liquid coconut milk underneath it, which I save for using in my cereal vs regular milk)

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

8 oz. whipped cream cheese

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup orange juice

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Crust - In the bowl of a food processor, add the wafers and pulse until fine crumbs are formed. Drizzle in the melted butter, while pulsing, into the feeding tube; do the same with the confectioners' sugar and salt.  Pour into a dark round nonstick 11x1" tart pan with a removable bottom. Press into a even layer in the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.

Filling - Add all filling ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bulb-whisk. Whip until all ingredients are incorporated and a creamy filling forms, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake tart, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Remove tart from oven and place on a baking rack to cool for 2 hours at room temperature.

Remove outer ring of pan, leave center portion under tart, then place atop a large, flat serving plate.  

Place cooled tart into the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, and let chill to allow flavors to meld overnight. ~ Enjoy!

Served, as is...

Served with a dollop of my
homemade
Strawberry-Rosemary Jam...

SANDRA’S APPLE-CRANBERRY-ORANGE LATTICE TART

A decadently elegant dessert

that I often make ~ it’s also great

substituting pears for apples,

and other dried fruit for the cranberries...

Servings: (8)

Prep: 20 Mins.

Bake: 45 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

Sour cream tart crust:

2 cups all-purpose flower

½ cup sour cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp.

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small slices

¼ cup craisins (dehydrated cranberries), chopped

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cold butter cut into 16 small squares

Topping:

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Garnish:

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

METHOD

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Place a pizza pan in oven to heat.

Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the dough ingredients, except the water, until small crumbs form.  Add the water and continue to mix until dough starts to pull together.  Knead together using hands to form a ball.  Reserve 1/3 of dough, and wrap in plastic and set aside.

Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13” circle.  Place into an 11” tart pan with a removable bottom; trim sides.  Roll out the other 1/3 of dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11.5” circle and cut into 1” strips.

In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients, and spoon into prepared tart shell, then dot with cold butter squares.

Weave the lattice strips as shown in photo on top of tart, and trim sides.  Brush lattice strips with milk.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle over lattice strips.

Place the tart pan on top of the hot pizza pan in oven, and bake tart for 45 minutes until light golden brown.  Cool 15 minutes on rack.  Remove sides and bottom of tart pan, and slide onto serving tart pedestal.  To serve, cut into triangles, and plate, then dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar. ~ Enjoy.

SANDRA’S SPRING STRAWBERRY KIWI MANGO TARTLETS

What a wonderful way to bring in 
a fine spring day 
with such an exquisite dessert...

Yields: (4 mini-tartlets,
or large tartlet)
Prep/Bake:  20 Mins.
+ crust cooling time

Posted by Sandra 

INGREDIENTS

***Crust:

1 refrigerated, prepared pie crust
(Or make make this recipe using: Sandra’s Pie Crust recipe)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar mixed with a dash of cinnamon

***Filling:

1 (3.4 oz. box) vanilla instant filling mix --(4.5-cup serving size)
2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped of inner seed pods (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons apricot-pineapple jam

***Topping:

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
2 fresh kiwis, peeled, and sliced
1 fresh mango, deseeded, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons apricot-pineapple jam

--Prepared whipped cream

METHOD

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Unroll crust and cut into large enough circles to fit into individual tartlet tins with removable bottoms, and lightly dust each tartlet crust with sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Prick bottoms and sides of crusts with a fork.  Bake for about 8 minutes, until light and golden brown.  Remove from oven, and let crusts cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling in a medium bowl by mixing all the filling ingredients with a wire whisk, until well blended and thick for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour equally into cooled tartlet shells. Arrange the sliced strawberries, kiwis, and mangos randomly over filling.

In a small glass bowl, heat the jam in the microwave for 20 seconds; stirring to combine.  Brush warm jam over the fruit to glaze, and refrigerate tartlets for at least 1 hour before serving.  Serve by topping each tartlet with whipped cream. – Enjoy!

SANDRA's DECADENT SWEET POTATO MERINGUE TART

A simple dessert to make
that is off-the-charts on
presentation and taste...

Servings: (8)

Posted by Sandra
Prep: 20 mins. |
Bake: 1 hr. total

INGREDIENTS

***Sweet Potato Tart
3 cups peeled, cubed, and boiled sweet potatoes just until tender, drain and cool
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk (or one 15 oz. can)
10-inch unbaked pie crust (or use this recipe: Pie Crust - Homemade)

***Meringue
3 egg whites
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Mash the cooled sweet potatoes.  For the filling, using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, both sugars, melted butter, beaten eggs, vanilla, salt, orange zest, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the tart crust, and bake for 15 minutes.

Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue baking for 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the tart on a rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue and re-baking.

Preheat the oven once again to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, for the meringue, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, and add the cream of tartar. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a spatula, spoon the meringue onto the tart, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around edges (or it will pull away during baking). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool and serve. - Enjoy!

SANDRA'S EASY and SCRUMPTIOUS PUMPKIN MOUSSE TORTE

A perfectly easy torte to prepare
that is so impressive
and utterly light and very tasteful...

Servings: (8)
Prep/Bake Time: 15 mins.
+ 2-hours refrigeration time

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS:

***Crust:

1-3/4 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

***Filling:

1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 (2.9 oz. pkg.) instant vanilla pudding
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (For my homemade blend, click here: Sandra's Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend)
1 (15 oz. can) pure pumpkin puree (not spiced pumpkin pie mix)
1 (8 oz. tub) cool whip, thawed, and divided (or make your own whipped cream)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 9” torte pan or pie plate using a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press down bottom and along edges to form crust. Bake pastry shell for 7 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl with a hand mixer beat the milk, pudding mix and spices for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree, and half of the cool whip; gently folding with a spatula to combine. Pour mixture into cooled crust and spread out so it is even. Top with remaining cool whip. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set and for flavors to meld. – Enjoy!