Apple and Prune Tarts: a Flaky Pastry Star-shaped Cookie for the Holidays
Apple and prune tarts are so delicious! A delicate flaky pastry cookie for the holiday season:) I make this flaky tart for Christmas every year just as my mom did and my grandma before her. My grandma was born in Finland and she brought her food tradition of tart making with her to America. My family has made this recipe for years because it is so good! It’s a family favorite!
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I love that mixer!
This recipe uses only five ingredients plus whatever fruit filling is chosen.
A Baking Tradition
Baking often is tied to keeping a tradition alive. Food memories are the best! My grandma was 100% Finnish and she was actually born in Finland. This is her recipe passed down to me through my mom. My mother carried on the tradition of making these pastry Christmas treats for my dad once his mother passed away. This delicate flaky pastry cookie is a favorite food memory for my dad as well because he gets to eat a favorite cookie his mother made years ago.
I continue this tradition of making fruit-filled tarts in memory of my grandma and my mom. Now my own three children and my husband love these yummy tarts as well and it’s a tradition in my own family.
Fruit Filling
My mom and grandma always made prune tarts but I changed it up and tried different fruit pie fillings. This year I made apple and prune tarts. However, in previous years, I’ve used strawberry pie filling, raspberry, apple, or blackberry jelly. I’ve found pie filling works the best because jelly starts to leak out onto the pan during baking. Apple is a favorite flavor of tart for my own family and I continue the prune tarts mainly for my dad. Prune filling can be made (see the end of this post for my grandma’s original prune filling recipe) or buy it in a can at the grocery store in the pie filling can section.
When I use apple pie filling, I cut the apples in half or thirds before adding them to the center of the tars. This makes the apples fit better in the tarts.
Tarts for Christmas and the Holiday Season!
Aren’t these tarts so much fun! I love the star shape. These flaky morsels are super yummy with coffee or milk. They would be great any time of year, but for me, enjoying them during the holidays is the best way to savor them.
Ingredients to Make These Christmas Tarts
The ingredients needed to make these tarts include the following:
- 1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3 1/2 c. white flour
- 1 c. soft or melted butter
- 2 c. pie filling (your favorite flavor here!)
Solo Filling Prune, 12 oz cans (pack of 2)
Wilderness More Fruit Pie Filling & Topping, Apple, 21 Ounce (Pack of 8)
How To Make the Apple and Prune Tarts
The first step is to whip the heavy whipping cream with a mixer until you see stiff peaks. Make sure you don’t whip it too long though, or you will make butter! (Making homemade butter is super fun, but save that for another day because today you are making tarts;)
Next, you will mix dry ingredients together: baking powder, salt, and white flour, and then stir.
Gently stir the dry ingredient mixture into the whipped cream.
Add the softened or melted butter and hand stir or mix in butter with a mixer.
Chill dough ball for several hours in the fridge in a plastic wrap.
Remove and let dough soften at room temp so you can roll it out with a rolling pin.
Roll out the dough in a thin layer on a floured surface.
Cut dough into squares.
Make a cut on each of the corners of each square.
Add 3/4 to 1 tsp. pie filling to the center of each tart.
Fold every other point in towards the center of the tart to make the star shape. Pinch all four pointed ends together to secure the star shape (or it might pop open during baking).
Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 400° for 7-10 minutes until the bottoms are golden. Allow tarts to cool before storing in a sealed container.
See below to print these instructions and photos.
Eat well and enjoy life!
Christmas Treats!
Looking for more Christmas treats? Check out these posts:
The Heart-Filled Grinch Punch a Christmas Mocktail
Christmas Wands: Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
Festive Red and Green Fruit Ice Cubes for Cocktails and Mocktails
Copyright © 2016 Julie Hoag writer. All Rights Reserved.
Apple and Prune Tarts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream whip until stiff with a mixer
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cup white flour
- 1 cup soft butter
- 2 cups fruit pie filling I used apple and prune. Other tasty choices are strawberry, raspberry, or blackberry.
Instructions
- Whip the cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (if you whip too long it will separate and you will have made butter, check out my blog post on making homemade butter).
- Gently stir in the dry ingredients into the cream. Mix with a mixer until blended, or hand stir. Stir in the butter (soft). Chill in the fridge for several hours.
- Set the dough out to soften a bit so it can be rolled out with a rolling pin. Roll out a thin layer of dough over a lightly floured surface. Make sure there is a layer of flour under dough each time you roll it out to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Score the dough into 2-3 inch squares with a knife.
- Make a one inch cut on each corner of the squares.
- Add about 3/4 - 1 tsp of fruit filling to the middle of each square.
- Fold the tart by folding in every other point. So as you go around the tart, fold in every other point into the center of the tart to make the star shape.
- Pinch dough points in center together very HARD, and then slightly knead tips together or it will pop open during baking. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place cookies on pan about 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes depending on dough thickness. Swiftly remove the tarts if points turn brown and remove them immediately from pan with a spatula. WATCH the tarts closely and try to remove before tips turn brown, a little golden is okay. You can check the bottoms and if they are golden, it is done.
Notes
Homemade Prune Filling, My Grandma's Recipe
- 1 pound prunes, may need to grind up
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Enjoy!
Enjoy tarts within about 5-6 days or refrigerate for a longer shelf life.Homemade Butter:
Once I mixed the whipping cream too long and made butter. How to make easy homemade butter Affiliate link: Discover new junk-free snacks every month and help fight childhood hunger
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Thanks for posting this one! I tried a different recipe a while back and they were more like sugar cookies….not quite right (although still good). This is the recipe I was looking for! I agree, the prune filling is a must for memories sake 🙂
I hope this recipe works out for you! I’ve made this recipe for years and years. I love to use prune filling too, but I went to four stores and couldn’t find it this year. I did see I could get it online though. My boys adore these cookies with apple pie filling too. Be sure to watch them during baking so they don’t cook too long. Sometimes if I roll the dough too thin or too thick, this changes the length of time it needs to be baked. When baked right, they are flaky and light. Hope you enjoy:) It’s fun to make it every Christmas, great memories reside in this tasty recipe!! Thanks so much for the comments!!