For Mother’s Day, simple but elegant sweets even a child can make.
Raspberry Mascarpone Mini Tarts
by Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Raspberry Mascarpone Mini Tarts is my recipe of the day.
The Mother’s Day I am celebrating is going to be rather low-key. Our air-conditioning is out, and it is just going to be me and my husband hanging out in the heat, tricking out some new additions to our patio decor, and grilling up some bratwurst tacos which will be featured in Weekday Suppers in about another week.
Both our mothers have passed away now, and our daughter is off working in Columbus doing her daily grind. So there is not much in the way of motherly things going on here. But Bill and I both think of our mothers all the time. Their memories are with us forever.
Tart Ingredients
For me, some of my earliest memories are hanging out with Mom in the kitchen. When she wasn’t cooking (my earliest memory of her cooking is watching her fry homemade donuts), we would hang out in there. Sometimes while she did the ironing, she would have me count or read my older brother’s reading books from school. Fun time was often making paper dolls from old Sears catalog photos or making Barbie cars from empty shoe boxes while she stitched home made clothes for my dolls. We didn’t have very much back then, and she taught me a lot about thrift, and reusing things, and making things from scratch. Perhaps one of the reasons I enjoy cooking and making foods from scratch today.
Tart Filling
Mom always took great pride in her cooking. Even if back in the 1960’s cooking wasn’t exactly the same as it is today. We have so many more choices now. And many things we can buy can make things much easier.
For my Mother’s Day recipe with the group, I decided to post a recipe I developed last year and was going to enter into a recipe contest when an appropriate theme came around. It is for raspberry mascarpone mini tarts, which are no-bake, made with only five simple ingredients, can be made in just a few minutes time, and are easy enough for a small child to put together, with little to no supervision or assistance from a parent, or even an older brother or sister.
Filling and Shells
I do think that at least for me, Mother’s Day was less about celebrating the things my family loved me for and more about teaching my child about how to be able to honor someone they cared about, showing them simple ways to show their appreciation, and develop the sense of pride in their own cooking skills. For if I had made these for my own mother, I am sure she would have exclaimed “Oh! How sweet!” and made me feel wonderful the way she always managed to do. But we didn’t have these easy ingredients back then, and not even when my own child was growing up.
Filling the Tarts
And as a kid, I would have felt such pride and happiness to be able to put together a dessert that looked dainty, fancy and elegant, without it being above my own ability to make. These are so simple–stir the filling, fill the cups and add fruit and powdered sugar. As an idea for Dad to help the kids get a surprisingly wonderful food treat together for their Mom, this is going to be the bomb.
Preparing the Tarts
So I hope that if your kids get to make this for their mom, they are as pleased about it as their mom will be. These kind of food memories tend to last for so long, and as well, help to build cooking skills which will enrich their health and lives far into the future when mothers past are long a memory and new mothers spring up to take their place.
So have a Happy Mother’s Day and remember to make it a learning and happy moment for the kids. Without kids, there are no mothers!
~Sue
Raspberry Mascarpone Mini Tarts
Ingredients:
- 1 (1.9-ounce box) Athens frozen mini fillo shells, thawed
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam
- 15 fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Method:
- Stir together jam and softened mascarpone cheese until smooth.
- You can pre-bake the fillo cups but it is not necessary (especially if you want smaller children to do this whole thing themselves).
- Fill fillo shells with filling.
- Place one raspberry on top of each.
- Place powdered sugar in a sieve and dust mini tarts.
- Can be served at once, but also can be chilled for several hours before serving (may need a recharge on the powdered sugar).
Serves 5 (3 mini tarts per person)
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com
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Just wanted to wish you a Happy Mothers Day and to say your Mother sounds a lot like mine we were so blessed to have them and to say thank you for all the great work you do I always look forward to your post !
Thank you and Happy Mom’s Day tpo you as well! 🙂
Wow.. drooling…Amazing pics as always..
Thank you, Sadia!
I’ll take the whole tray please and thank you.
Thank you Renee!
These look so easy and delicious! Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day as well.
These are little mini bites of joy and so easy to make!!
I do like the simplicity and being no bake since the a/c is out! LOL Thanks, Tara.
These tarts are just beyond beautiful and I especially love the addition of mascarpone.
I hope you enjoy your day, a/c or not. We still have our heat on! 🙁
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
As is usual in our area, it goes from freezing cold to blazing hot, although the temps are supposed to drop again this week (and I suspect they will stay like that for awhile just to be odd!) Thanks so much, Kate!
Raspberries are such a favorite at our house, so these would be a huge hit. And I’m with Renee, I’ll just take the whole tray 🙂
You and Renee might be a bit late as they were already inhaled, but they are easy enough to make more. 🙂
This looks fantastic, thanks for sharing!
I think anyone would be pleased with these for Mother’s Day or any other day of the week!
Thanks Kelly!
These look so fast and easy to make for Mother’s Day!
Thank you!
What a magnificent dessert! I love pairing mascarpone with berries, too.
Thanks! Not so magnificent, but I wanted something easy for the kids.
Sue, Such a beautiful post (and dessert!) Even after we are all grownup, mommies matter <3 Your mother, your childhood looks indeed to have many heart-warming memories <3 Thank you for sharing =)
Glad to be able to share it! And the recipe too! 🙂 Hope your day was real nice. 😀
Perfect little cheesecake bites!
Thanks!
These look so cute, and I love how east they are. Definitely great for kids to make for you 🙂
Thank you!
A perfect post for Mother’s Day. I hope it inspired some father’s to have their kids make these up for their Moms. Happy Mother’s Day to you.
Thank you! I hope your Mother’s Day was wonderful as well.
These little tarts are so fun for a Mother’s Day brunch! Pretty presentation!
Thank you!
Raspberries in tarts? Yes please! These look absolutely gorgeous, perfect for Mother’s Day! Thanks for the sharing!
Thank you!
Hey there! I’m not sure if our previous message got through so I’ll just comment again. These raspberry tarts look absolutely divine! Raspberry is one of my favourite ingredients ever. Thanks so much for sharing this Mother’s Day treat!
Thanks! Glad your message got through this time–didn’t see it in the spam folder at all, so don’t know what’s up with that. I hope you enjoy!
How cute! I just love the pinkness! It’s great that they’re so simple a kid could make them. 🙂
Thanks!
Thank you!
Anything raspberry is ok with me! These little tarts would be perfect for baby showers or bridal showers!
Thanks! They are great finger food!
What a winning treat! So easy and such great flavors!
And thanks! 🙂
What a winning treat! So easy and such great flavors! yummmm
Thanks!
These tarts are stunning! They seem so simple to make, but look so elegant!
Thanks! They couldn’t be easier! 🙂
These tarts are absolutely gorgeous. I love eating anything with mascarpone cheese!
Thanks!
So adorable! Love them! Happy Mother’s Day
Thank you!
I love how simple this dessert is. I imagine they don’t last very long. I love that you went with raspberry!
Thanks! Sometimes easy is as good as the most elegant thing, don’t you think? Thanks for dropping by!
These tarts are really delicious and they make such a pretty presentation. I was able to find seedless raspberry jam, but unfortunately I could not find the filo shells. I had to use some mini pie shells that I pre-baked and then filled. I will be on the lookout for the filo shells and make this dessert again soon. Nancy : )
Thank you! I find the phyllo shells in the freezer section of the markets near frozen pie crusts and ice cream. Good luck!