What’s prettier than red, white and blue desserts for the summer? Combine Chocolate Chip Mini Tarts with Strawberries, sprinkles and fruit dip. What a deliciously fresh combination!
Make and bake the mini tarts with a chocolate chip-like cookie dough. Place in little red, white and blue paper liners, Add a fluffy fruit dip and sprinkle with RWB sprinkles. Top with a fresh strawberry skewered with a USA Flag. They are so easy to make – as quick and simple as making chocolate chip cookies!
Use your creativity to make your own version of these mini tarts by using fresh blueberries instead of sprinkles. Or, make cupcake sized chocolate chip tarts, adding small birthday candles or sparklers on top to light for a fun celebratory event after dark.
It's so easy to make the mini chocolate chip tarts a couple of days ahead of time or prepare the dough ahead of time and freeze before baking for up to a month. I freeze the dough balls and grab what I need out of the freezer before baking for an event or just to have around the house.
This recipe makes about 36 mini tarts.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees a few minutes before you’re ready to bake.
Prepare your pan:
If using a non-stick pan, I spread a very thin layer of soft butter in each cup with a pastry brush.
Gather up the Ingredients for the Chocolate Chip Mini-Tarts:
½ C Butter, softened
1/3 C Sugar
1/3 C Brown sugar
½ t Vanilla extract
½ t Almond extract
1 Egg
1 C Flour
½ t Baking soda
½ C Chocolate chips, mini semi-sweet
½ C Pecans or Walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
Gather up the Fruit Dip Ingredients:
8 oz Cream cheese, soft
1/3 C Powdered sugar
½ t Vanilla extract
½ t Almond extract
7 oz Marshmallow cream/fluff
1 C Cool Whip, thawed
Gather up the Garnish Items:
3 dozen Red, white, blue cupcake liners or mini liners
3 dozen Strawberries, small to medium, cleaned and dried
3 dozen small USA flags on toothpicks
Red, white, blue sprinkles
Blueberries (optional)
Make and bake the Mini Tarts:
-With an electric mixer and large bowl, beat the soft butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy.
-Add the egg and beat to combine, scraping down the sides.
-Add the extracts and beat in until combined.
-Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt, and beat on low to combine, scraping down sides.
-Stir in the mini chocolate chips and optional nuts.
-Spoon 1 ½ teaspoon of the mini tart dough into each mini tart cup.
-Bake at 350F degrees for 8-10 minutes. Don’t overbake.
-Take the pan out of the oven and cool the mini tarts in pan for 5 minutes.
-While the mini tarts are still warm, lightly press the centers down slightly. This will help hold the dollop of fruit dip and strawberries.
-Take all the mini tarts out of the pan and cool completely on a rack.
-You can keep the mini tarts in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature if you are making these ahead.
-Stir up the fruit dip and follow assembly directions below.
Stir up the Fruit Dip:
-With an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl until creamy and smooth, 2-4 minutes.
-Beat in the powdered sugar and extracts.
-With a plastic spatula, fold in the marshmallow fluff until combined.
-Slowly fold in the thawed Cool Whip until combined.
Assemble the Red White and Blue Mini Tarts for serving:
-Place each mini tart into a red, white blue paper liner on a serving platter, tray or wooden board. I like to set them on the serving tray(s) before assembling them so I don’t have to move them again.
-Assemble a couple of hours before you plan to serve these cute little tarts.
-Cut the green tops off the strawberries if you prefer – not needed.
-Place one dollop of fruit dip in the indention of each mini tart.
-Shake a few red, white and blue sprinkles over the white fruit dip of each mini tart.
-With a USA flag toothpick, skewer a strawberry and place on top of the fruit dip in a mini tart, a little off center. Repeat with each strawberry and mini tart.
-Keep them in the refrigerator if you have them assembled ahead of time. Take them out a few minutes before serving.
-Now you’re ready for a delicious treat on any special Red, White and Blue holiday!
Storage:
-Store the baked, unfilled mini tarts in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
-Freeze the baked mini tarts in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Let them thaw in airtight container in the refrigerator overnight or for a couple hours at room temperature.
-You can also freeze the mini tart dough or dough balls (before baking) in an airtight container for up to a month. I double bag in zipper plastic bags or once in a zipper bag and then in a plastic box. I like to form 36 balls from the dough with a cookie scoop…freeze them and grab as many dough balls as I need for an event. It’s a smart way to prepare the desserts ahead of time, especially if you’re preparing a lot of other items for your single event or more than one event. I’ve even doubled the recipe and frozen the dough balls for 3 different summer family celebrations.
These cute little mini tarts are tasty and just right for a sweet treat at a family get together or holiday celebration. Whoever you share them with, “Bake your own Memories!”