Apricot Flower Tartlets

These beautiful Apricot Flower Tartlets are not my original idea. Over the years, I have seen several versions of these in German cooking magazines. However, they are so cute and fun, so I could not resist making them myself. Furthermore, I love the idea of making fruit tartlets for spring and not relying on searching out good quality fresh fruit.  That can be a sad quest this time of year.

The recipe has a few steps. However, it is super easy to throw together. Use a four-inch in-diameter cookie cutter to cut flower shapes out of a simple dough. Then, place in a muffin or cupcake tin before baking.  However, here’s a tip: Place the tartlets in every other muffin well.  Then leave an empty well in between. Because you don’t want the flower “petals” to merge when baking.  Place a freshly peeled or canned apricot half on top, bake and serve. Tada! Creamy apricot goodness is delivered to your guests in a flower form.

Quark?

The creamy filling of these Apricot Flower Tartlets consists of creamy quark, sugar, and pure vanilla extract. By the way, an easy cheat recipe for quark is included in the recipe below.  What’s quark, you ask? No, it’s not a sci-fi alien. It’s a creamy, tangy dairy product. It’s kind of like Greek yogurt’s cooler European cousin. Popular in countries like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, quark is a versatile superstar. So spread it on toast, swirl it into cheesecake, or let it shine in a tart like this one.

These Apricot Flower Tartlets are a great idea to serve for Mother’s Day, Easter brunch, or your next spring-themed breakfast gathering. They add a beautiful touch to any spring or summer entertaining table.

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Apricot Flower Tartlets

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine European, German

Keyword Apricot Cream Tarts, Apricot Tarts, easter recipes, Quark Tarts, Quart Tartlets, spring recipes

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Chill Time: 15 minutes

Servings 1 Dozen

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
• 1+ 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for decoration
• 2 large eggs divided
• 1 can apricot halves or 6 fresh apricots*
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup quark**

Instructions

1. Cut the unsalted butter into little pieces.
2. Beat the butter with the flour, salt, powdered sugar, and one egg.
3. Form the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic cling film. Chill for 15 minutes.
4. Whisk together the remaining egg, white granulated sugar, vanilla, and the quark.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Grease a muffin or cupcake pan.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
8. Use a 4-inch in-diameter flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut out flowers.
9. Place each in the greased muffin pan.
10. Gently push the centers flat to the bottom of the well. Depending upon the size of the wells in your pan, to make room for the “petals” you might have to place them in every other well.
11. Use a toothpick or fork to poke holes in the bottoms of the dough.
12. Bake for 10 minutes.
13. Remove the cakes from the oven. Fill each with the quark, egg, and sugar mixture.
14. Place an apricot half on top of each cake, flat side down.
15. Bake for another 10 minutes.
16. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack fitted over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
17. When they have cooled completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
18. Arrange on a decorative plate and serve.

Recipe Notes

*If you are using fresh apricots: wash the apricots and pat dry. Carefully halve and peel them. Discard the pit. For the canned apricot version: Drain the apricots. Reserve the nectar for future use, if desired.

**A quick recipe for making quark:
5 ounces ricotta cheese
1 ounce of sour cream
Place the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Makes 6 ounces or 3/4 cup.