Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Tassie Cups with Whipped Lemon Curd


3 ounces of cream cheese (a cube is 8 ounces, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a food processor, combine the softened cream cheese, softened butter, flour and salt. Pulse and grind until the mixture forms into a ball. Then get a strip of plastic wrap and place it on the counter. Place the dough onto the center of the plastic wrap and wrap tightly into a ball. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour

Once chilled divide dough into 24 little round half dollar size balls. Using a mini-cupcake pan place each ball in a cup (slightly greased). Pressing from the center out, press dough up the sides of the cup until the dough is evenly pressed up the cup. Then place them into the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are barely brown on the edges (mine took about 10 minutes).

Let the tassie cups cool completely, then remove them carefully from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

For the whipped curd take a half pint of heavy whipping cream and using a stand mixer, mix until the whip cream is pretty thick. Take out about a 1 1/2 cup whipping cream and set aside. Then using already made and cooled lemon curd, mix 2 cups whipping cream and 1 cup lemon curd. Be careful that as you combine the two that you fold the curd into the whipping cream and not mix it. You want to keep the air in the mixture and stirring it will do the opposite.

Next take the 1 1/2 cups whipping cream and add a little drop of vanilla and a about 2 tablespoons powdered sugar to the mixture and stir.

Once the tassie cups are completely cooled, spoon in about a little over a tablespoon of whipped lemon curd into the cups (or fill until they are leveled with the tops of the cups). Then place a dabble of whip cream on top and for garnish and color, add a slice of strawberry.
Review: These were really good but took kind of a long time to make so I don't think I would make them just for an every day snack but they look really pretty and would be an impressive thing to bring to a potluck or something. The only thing I did differently is that I added a half of a cup of sugar to the tassie cup dough so it was kind of like a shortbread with cream cheese. They turned out really great and when I took some to the neighbors they thought I was a gourmet pastry chef. Maybe that's what I'll be when I grow up.

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