Welcome Spring with Lemon Raspberry Tarts

Depending on where you live, spring is starting to show its colors. Living in Minnesota, we spend what seems like an eternity with snow and cold. It can sometimes feel like they drag on forever! But lately, we’ve had a welcome change in the weather- it hit the 70’s this past weekend! And when it hits 70 degrees in Minnesota, you know it. People dust off their summer wear, the smell of grilling is in the air, and a general sense of "sunshine" is apparent in everyone you meet.

To celebrate the resurgence of spring, my husband Adam and I decided to have our families over for a cook-out. Brats, pasta salad and lemonade were all on the menu, but I knew I needed to have a "springy" dessert on the list, too. Of course, landolakes.com came to my rescue with our new spring downloadable brochure. So many cute recipe ideas I can’t stand it! I had a difficult time deciding on what to choose, but after debating between all of the delicacies, I decided on Lemon Raspberry Tarts.

Not only are these mini tarts beautiful, they are individual servings, so everyone gets their own, special dessert. Plus, there is a secret ingredient in the crust you probably wouldn’t normally think of being in a dessert - basil! I know, it might seem a little strange to put something you usually think of using in Italian cooking into a dessert, but it really works. The basil and lemon complement each other perfectly and make for a refreshing flavor combination that screams "spring!"

To get started, you’ll need mini tart pans. They basically look just like the regular-size tart pans…only individual-sized. But do not fear- if you don’t have access to mini tart pans, you can use your 9" tart pan and make one tart. And if you don’t have any tart pans, you could always try using a pie plate.

Now let’s make the crust. One of the things I love about this crust is that it’s technically "homemade," but is super easy to make. Remember those vanilla wafer cookies you used to eat as a kid? Yep, that’s how you get to the crust portion of this recipe! Crush the wafer cookies up finely. I’ve found that a food processor definitely works best for this.

You want the crumbs to be very fine so you don’t end up with chunks of cookie in your crust.

Add the melted butter and finely chopped basil to the cookie crumbs.

Stir to combine.

Now, press the crumb mixture into the 4 individual (or a 9") tart pans.

Work your way around the mini tart pan, pushing the crust mixture up the sides, pressing and pinching to form an edge.

Place the tarts in the oven, and bake them for about 7 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.

Set them aside to cool while you make the filling.

Now, spread about 1 tablespoon of lemon curd over each individual crust. Or, if you’re using the larger tart pan, spread 1/3 cup over the entire crust. You can find lemon curd in the grocery store in the same aisle as the jams and jellies.

Place the remaining lemon curd in a bowl.

Beat it at medium speed until it becomes light.

In another bowl, whip the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks.

Soft peaks will gently curl over onto themselves when you lift the beater out of the bowl.

Next, add the whipped lemon curd to the whipping cream.

Beat together until combined and slightly thickened.

Divide the lemon cream mixture among the tart pans (or pour it all into the 9" tart pan, if you’ve chosen to use it.)

You could just top with raspberries as the recipe shows...

…but I decided to use blueberries, raspberries and blackberries because I love all types of berries. Get creative!

Refrigerate the tarts until serving time, or at least an hour. This will help the whipping cream set up.

My guests loved their spring dessert - and the warm weather served alongside!

If you’re feeling the urge for a warm-weather dessert, or just a delicious dessert in general, give these Lemon Raspberry Tarts a try. And if you decide to make the recipe, come back and let me know what you thought.

Looking for another spring recipe idea? Check back in a few days when Emily will share a fabulous idea for a brunch.

Mallory is a Product Specialist in the Test Kitchens at Land O'Lakes and writes for our Recipe Buzz® Blog.