Get ready to be introduced to the sweetest, cutest, fastest Valentines dessert in the land. Easy, cherry tarts with a Valentine's Day twist.
A trip to the grocery store usually goes something like this for me ...
Grab the only cart in the store that has a wonky wheel which forces it to pull to the right all the time. Get whatever "in the aisle" goods I need. Turn right. Head down to the dairy aisle and pick up whatever I need there.
I sometimes spend more time gazing at cheese than you would expect from a person who knows how to work a button up shirt.
Take a detour through the potato chip aisle and just sit and meditate for a while. Wipe the goofy potato chip induced grin from my face and head on over to the produce aisle. As you may have guessed, I am forced to hang a right to do this. Pick up leafy, crispy things. I like leafy, crispy things.
Turn right at the broccoli and head directly towards the deli counter. Worry for a full 30 seconds about whether or not, when there is only 1 person ahead of me, I really need to "take a number".
Decide the deli is too stressful and head over to the meat counter. Stand for what seems like hours deciding on what big, thick, hunk of meat I'd like to devour (usually after cooking it). I get all dreamy in the meat aisle. I browse and I scan and I ponder while in the meat aisle. Turn right.
Then I quickly zip through that area where they sell pies and cakes and stuff without looking at a thing. Check out.
The point of this story? Check the alignment of your cart before committing to it. There's nothing worse than a cart with a wonky wheel that always wants to turn right. Except one that wants to turn left. Second point to this story? I'm not one for sweet, gooey baked goods.
And because I don't like to eat 'em, I don't like to make 'em. Which is why I came up with this post. Quite possibly the easiest Heart Shaped Tart on the planet! Here we go .... !!!
Easy Cherry Tarts
It occurred to me that I could probably smash those mini premade tart shells into any shape I wanted. I mean, nothing terribly complex. Like I probably couldn't squish them into the shape of a small country or a mathematical equation but I thought I could definitely squish it into the shape of a heart.
I gave it a shot, and turns out I was right. Very easy. Just get a tart ... I used the mini kind normally reserved for appetizers.
Update: Apparently these mini shells are hard to find in The United States, whereas in Canada they're in most frozen food sections. If you can't find the mini tart shells, just use regular small tart shells. If you can't find small tart shells use a full frozen pie crust and cut it into 2 ¾" circles and fit them into a mini muffin pan before filling. You won't be able to achieve perfect hearts this way, but they'll still be cute.
How do you make a heart shaped tart?
1. Turn the shell into a heart shape, by denting in one end of the tart's foil.
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We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
2. Then push that dent inwards to create the top of the heart shape.
Be careful not to squarsh the dough too much.
3. Once you have the top of the heart shaped, push the sides together a bit and pull the end down into a point. This will finish off the shape of the heart for your cherry tart.
Ta da! Heart shaped tart shell. Everybody needs to calm down now, because the most exciting part is coming up.
4. To fill the tarts, add 1 tablespoon of Cherry Pie Filling. I mean if you want to go nuts you could make Cherry Pie Filling from scratch but ... c'mon. The point of this cherry tart Valentine dessert is that it's easy and fast.
Try to add just a little to each tart at a time. I added a few cherries to each tart and then filled up the rest of the space with the gooey filling.
Don't overfill the tarts 'cause they'll get messy once they bubble up and cook.
Now you can either stick your tarts in the oven or ...
You can tart up your tarts.
5. Now that you're tarts have the look of something that took much longer than 20 minutes, stick them in the oven at 375° for 20 minutes.
Take 'em out ... and eat 'em.
And there you have it. You'd normally have to cruise a bar at closing time to come across a tart this easy. Enjoy.
Cherry Tarts
Ingredients
- 1 package mini frozen tart shells regular sized tart shells are fine too
- 1 can cherry pie filling cherry is great for Valentine's Day because it's red, but feel free to use any pie filling.
Instructions
- Holding the tart, press gently inwards to form the top of your heart.
- Pinch the tart directly below the indentation on the top to form your heart.
- Fill each tart with a few cherries then top up with the pie filling glaze. Around 1 Tablespoon in total.
- (Optional) Roll out some more tarts to act as tops for the tarts. Be as creative as possible! Basket weave, inlays, cutouts ... anything you do to the top of a regular pie, you can do on these mini ones.
- Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
QUESTIONS/ANSWERS
- Do you need to thaw the shells? The shells need to be thawed before baking but because they're so small it only takes a few minutes.
- Can you freeze them? These can be made ahead, cooked, then frozen. Just be careful when reheating them that you don't cook them or your crust will be rock hard.
- How many mini tart shells does one can of pie filling fill? 1 standard can of pie filling is 2 cups which would fill 36 mini tarts at 1 tablespoon of filling per tart.
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Sara @ Tried & Twisted
Love this idea! This is my new go-to recipe when I need V-day dessert in a hurry. The tart could maybe be reshaped into a flower too for spring tarts!
Easier than a tart after happy hour! You always make me giggle, Karen!
Wendy
Karen, I adore your blog, and I'm totally making these this week!!
But a question.... Do I need to thaw the shells before filling and baking them??
Karen
Wendy - You do need to thaw them but they thaw in about .. 30 seconds. :) So no big deal. ~ karen!
Meagan
Two weeks ago I started following your wicked blog.
Yesterday I made these pretty and delightfully easy tarts. I placed them on a plate that I purchased from Dollarama (after reading your dollar store table setting post of course). I washed up the dirty baking dishes after squirting (or rather lightly drizzling...there is a bit of an issue with the stopper, hmmmm)dish soap, from my newly crafted glass soap container, into the sink. Then, while washing the dishes, I looked out at my snow covered garden and attempted to figure out how I could possibly run a cord from the one outlet in my yard to a place where one of your amazing garden orbs would work...because it quite simply must. be. done.
All in all I would say I've been pretty inspired by your blog. It's also been a couple of productive weeks. Very blogductive indeed! Never before have I actually done things I have seen on a blog. For that I say thank you! I hope to read many more funny, creative and just plain awesome posts from you.
P.s. I adore that you are a fellow Ontarian. I live just a quick jaunt away from you and I frequent your lovely downtown. It's oh so nice to recognize products and stores that are used and mentioned in your posts!
Lisa
Meagan, I live in Michigan, we can go for days without sun, but I buy the solar posts you stick in the ground and they will light my orbs for a very long time...I get them at the dollar store.
Emie
Lisa, the solar post will charge through the white glass? If so, that's brilliant. I have some areas where getting anything electric is a challenge so this would be life changing?
sandy
Just found your site and I am enjoying it. So now you are in my bookmark. Keep, keeping on. Thanks for sharing your many talents. Sandy
Karen
Thanks Sandy! I'm glad you found my site. I bet it was Pinterest that led you here. Gotta love Pinterest! ~ karen
Patti Winker
LMAO! "You’d normally have to cruise a bar close to closing time to come across a tart this easy." You need to open up a mini-tart shop and use that for your tagline. Awesome!
And, by the way, I disagree with the assertion that posting blogs twice is gauche. It's just smart! And it's not like you just hit publish again... you did it with an intro, so it's all cool. There's nothing wrong with directing people to a popular post. I would have missed these charming mini-tarts if you hadn't. So, thanks!
Barbie
I know what I am doing today....but I think I will try the Strawberry filling as well....cause I don't like cherry either. My family will love these!
Diary/Dairy Rectum/ Rectify.....who cares?? LOL
I don't mind buying things in the diary section of my grocery store nor do I care to rectum that either!
LOVE you Karen!
Karen
Well thank you Barbie! Good luck tart. :) ~ karen
Teri
wow...you even use a pretty scalloped spoon to put the cherries in your tarts. Is there anything you can't do that isn't pretty? They look so yummy too...
Karen
Teri - I *love* that spoon! :) ~ karen
Sally Anne
And Sugar, I LOVE that plate!
Patti Winker
Oh yeah! The spoon is gorgeous. I especially like the juxtaposition with the tin can. Ha!
Gayla T
I definitely see why you wanted to rerun this one. It's a winner for sure. Too darn cute. I'm always looking for things my wonder grands can make and this will be one of them. They are going to love it. I'm especially glad it was a tart/pie thingy because it reminded me I put a Marie Callander single serving apple pie in the microwave and forgot to eat it. It was going to be a midnight snack but since it's 5 am it can be breakfast. Now, can you see why we love you so much? I would have left it in there for a day or so and it would have been garbage and you saved the day. Old bags with early senility that I am denying need all the help you can give. Thanks
Erin
I made these with strawberry rhubarb filling for my dad (its his favorite) and he loved them. I dont think I let the tarts defrost enough though. I was having some crumbling problems with the first few but after they were warmer they seemed much much easier. You need to let them defrost longer than what the box says.
Terri-Lynn
WOW!!! Smart. You sent me this pic on my phone a while ago, but I haven't been on to read how they were done. nice work
Karen
Terri-Lynn - Thank you from the bottom of my tart. ~ karen
Terri-Lynn
have you been waiting to use that line?
Karen
Terri-Lynn - LOL. Um. No, I wasn't waiting until the 43rd comment at the end of a post I wrote a week ago to use that line. I just *this very second* got smart enough to come up with it. ~ karen
cred
Hey Karen,
Brilliant Idea with the premade shells. These are too darn cute- I had to make them yesterday, especially because my 11yo daughter likes your blog, too and she'd seen these tarts.
So I made them for the kids & hubby yesterday~ heart shaped for the kids but my valentine is a bit more like Frankenstein when it comes to pie or tarts, shape is not a factor (Monster, Eat!).
I shaped them just as you described- worked perfectly. But since I don't like cherry, I made strawberry & custard. Excellent idea for Vday- thanks for the inspiration.
Karen
Cred! Thanks! That's great. I'm so glad you made the tarts. They're so much fun. If you ever do anything like this again send me a picture! I like to post them on the Art of Doing Stuff Facebook page! ~ karen
Lora
What is the name of the company who makes these t tart shells? I looked everywhere for the yellow box of Tenderflake tart shells.
I want to find them. These are so perfect..
Karen
Lora! The company is actually Tenderflake. Where are you? In Canada they should be readily available. The tart shells are in the frozen food section with the other frozen pie shells. However, the "mini" tart shells aren't in *all* stores. If you can't find the mini/appetizer sized shells just use the slightly larger sized ones. The ones you'd normally use if you were to make butter tarts. I can't imagine this sort of thing isn't available in the States. Just browse the frozen food section. Lemme know how you do! ~ karen
Michelle
I'm so in love with this idea. Truly GENIUS.
I'm making them tonight and trying not to eat them all!
Karen
Michelle - Thanks! I think you're right to eat them all. I mean ... what reason could there possibly not to?? ~ karen
Erin
OMG I love your spoon! its so cute, is there a name of a spoon like that or should i just start searching for scalloped/frilly spoon??
I personally don't like cherry tarts but my dad does, maybe ill make some for him for valentines. Great post!
margaret
I've seen spoons like that one referred to as 'sugar shells'...
Evalyn
The cheese isle is where I learned to work a button up shirt, but that's probably an entirely different topic.
Stella
My grandchildren would love to make these! Are those frozen tarts available in "the states"?
Tina
I’ve gotten these same (but only tiny, not super tiny) in packs of 4 in the baking aisle. Try that.
Sue
I will definitely be making some of these, and using a bit of cream cheese as Pam suggested! Then I will probably eat the whole batch myself....
Sandy@allaboutthetables
These are adorable! I love the way your brain works.
I think even I could manage to make this simple recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy
peach not beach though maybe I can come up with something that is beachy
Nancy
What I love the most about this and I am a second generation pie maker/lover is that I don't have to write down a complicated recipe that I will file away with my other long recipes and then have to read it each time I want to bake it. Terrific. I think I'll try a beach tart.
Thanks,
nancy