Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Tarts

I was inspired by this recipe that I found on one of the blogs that I follow.  This tasty treat is low carb and gluten free, and honestly just down right tasty!

For me, blueberries and lemon embody spring and freshness.  Both the  lemon and blueberry flavors  marry nicely in this tart.

I don't own small individual tart pans so I "made do" by utilizing  a cupcake pan.  I had a few shells that didn't come out easily but most of the did, and I used the crumbly ones to mix into the remaining filling for a quick decadent snack from the fridge.

I did modify the recipe a bit since my last errand stop was the grocery and there wasn't any Mascarpone cheese (seriously Target....come on!).  As a result, I opted for cream cheese and modified the recipe just a little.  

Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Tarts

Ingredients:

Crust:

6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sweetener (I used Splenda)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups almond flour

Tart Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, warmed to room temperature
juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
2 teaspoons granulated sweetener
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sweetener

Blueberry Sauce:

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon sugar substitute

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir to thoroughly mix.  The mixture will be crumbly.

Divide the dough equally between 12 muffin cups.  Press the dough evenly up the sides and on the bottom.
(I used a round bottom measuring spoon to help me out with this).  Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden.  When baking is complete, remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.  Do not try to remove the crusts until they cool.

Meanwhile as the crusts cool, work on the remaining components.

Wash the blueberries and add then to your blender along with the sugar substitute.  Blend to create a puree.  Strain the blueberry puree thorough a fine sieve.  Set the mixture aside.

To make the tart filling, start by adding the cup of very cold whipping cream and sweetener to a bowl.  Whip the mixture until stiff peaks form using your electric mixer.

Next beat the cream cheese to blend.  Add in the juice from the 1/2 lemon and the 2 teaspoons of granulated  sweetener.  Mix on high speed to blend thoroughly.  Once blended, add 1/3 of the whipped cream and fold it in with a wooden spoon or spatula (don't use the electric mixer) until well blended.  Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the mixture.

To assemble, remove the crusts from the muffin pan (don't worry if you have one or two that are stubborn and refuse to do anything but turn into crumbles, just save them for later).  You can serve these a couple of different ways, you can add the blueberry sauce to the crust and then add the whipped cream cheese mixture, or put the blueberry sauce on the side.  Either way is tasty, just be aware that if you are not serving these right away, on the side is best because the crust will absorb the sauce.  Since there is no way I can manage to eat so many so quickly, nor should I, I've opted to do one for photos but opt for on the side so I can refrigerate the remaining tarts for later.

Garnish with fresh blueberries and some lemon zest.

Happy Easter Everyone!

.....and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!