Queen of Tarts

by Gail




Blogger Friend School Assignment # 8


Blogger Friend School – Cookie Exchange

Most people LOVE cookies and the holidays are just a perfect time of year to share our family favorite cookie recipes.
The assignment this week is to post your recipe and any family history behind the recipe.
If you have time to take pictures, please share a visual :)
Better yet, make it a homeschool project, put on your aprons, and have a baking day. Language Arts can be reading the recipe and spelling the name of the cookie….Math can be measuring the ingredients and guessing how many cookies your recipe will “actually”…Science can be experimenting with different food colors, Art can be decorating the cookies, and History can be sharing with your children about your time growing up and baking cookies.
Our favorite part of baking day is Snack Time!…BUT don’t forget to toss in a good Home Economics lesson and teach proper kitchen clean up. Have fun!

I suppose that some people would not consider this a “cookie” in the classic sense; but my mother made tarts every year for Christmas along with every other type of cookie you could imagine. These were always my favorites and, I might add, are only made the better by a pot of hot tea.
You will need to try and find some tart tins, if you don’t already have a supply of them. True tart tins are exceptionally difficult to find in the United States. They are not mini-muffin tins. They are very shallow compared to a mini-muffin tin.
The tart tins that I have seem to be a bit more shallow than this one appears, but they were handed down from my grandmother to my mother and then to me. Williams-Sonoma used to have nice tart tins, but I don’t think they carry them any more. One could ask, though. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll have to order them from England.
COCONUT JAM TARTS
(Makes about 40 tarts)
Pastry
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shortening (Crisco)
1/3 cup milk
Coconut
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coconut
Line tart tin with pastry. Put about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam in each. Top with about 1 teaspoon of coconut mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.