Blackberry Cheesecake Tarts

Summer means blackberry season in this part of the world, and these sweet, tart berries are ripening as we speak.

Early summer means ripe blackberries in the upper South and Midwest. Images by author

Earlier this summer, I was able to pick a quart or two and the first thing I made were these pretty danged spectacular tarts.

If you find yourself with some ripe berries, make these simple, but bakery quality, tarts.

Serve these for breakfast or as an after-dinner dessert, or just treat yourself and eat them warm from the oven in the middle of the afternoon.

Start by cooking down the blackberries in a sauce pan with a half cup of sugar and one third cup of water.

Simmer the blackberries with water and half the sugar.

Save a few of the prettier berries and set them aside to use as a garnish on the finished tarts. Bring the mixture to simmer. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the berries break down a bit and the mixture starts to thicken. Remove the berries from the heat and allow to cool.

After cooking the berries, remove them from the heat and allow to cool.

While the berries cook, blend the cream cheese with the remaining half cup of sugar, the beaten egg, and the lemon juice.

Make the cheesecake filling while the berries simmer.

Beat the mixture until smooth.

Blend the cream cheese batter until smooth.

Remove the berries from the heat and allow to cool. The mixture should thicken into a thin jelly consistency as it cools.

Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the pastry into roughly 5-inch squares (four per sheet). Press them into a jumbo muffin tin that you have spritzed with cooking oil. If your muffin tin has space for six muffins, just cut the remaining two squares into strips and add them to the large sheet inside the cup. Use your fingers to press the pastry down to form a cup shape.

Press the pastry sheet portions into a jumbo muffin tin.

Spoon in a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture. Top with the cooked down blackberries. Repeat for each cup.

Fill each pastry with cream cheese batter, then top with the cooked blackberries.

Place the tarts into a pre-heated, 350-degree oven. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the cream cheese mixture has set and the pastry is golden brown and flaky. Remove and allow the tarts to cool enough to handle. Place 3-5 of the reserved berries on top of each tart. Drizzle the tarts with honey or give them a good shake of powdered sugar before serving.

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