These are perfect for a light and healthy summer dessert. They can be made using any kind of fresh fruit (go to the farmer's market to see what is in season!) and if you'd prefer a warm version of this, feel free to stew the fruit until soft. Apples, pears, nectarines, or peaches would be delicious for this and you could even add a bit of cinnamon for a bit more flavor. The lime tofu cream can be changed to a plain cream by decreasing the lime or lemon juice down to 1-2 tablespoons.
The Lemon Pastry Shell recipe comes from the Patricia Wells at Home in Provence cookbook and the tofu cream is adapted from a German tofu cookbook.
Lemon Pastry Shell:
8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated zest of 1 lemon (or zest of 2 limes)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
a pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Fruit Filling:
1 peach, cut into small pieces
1 plum, cut into small pieces
(you could also use berries, nectarines, apricots, mangos, apples, pears or whatever other delicious fruit is in season)
Lime Tofu Cream:
a pack of soft silken tofu (I use the Mori-Nu brand)
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
a pinch of salt
2-4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
juice of 3 limes (or of 1 lemon)
Lemon Pastry Shell:
1. In a bowl, mix the oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, sugar, and salt. Add the flour until it forms a smooth, soft dough.
2. Place 8 muffin baking cups into your muffin dish, so that the pastry shells won't stick (they are almost impossible to get out without muffin baking cups, as they are thin and break easily).
3. Divide the dough up evenly into the muffin cups and press into the bottom and sides to form a mini pastry shell.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until firm and lightly browned, in a preheated 350F oven. Cool for at least 10 minutes before filling.
Lime Tofu Cream:
1. Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth. It is best to start off with 2 tablespoons of sugar and add more as needed.
Preparing the Tarts:
1. Carefully take the muffin baking cups off of the pastry shells.
2. Just prior to serving, spoon the fruit filling into the pastry shells and top with lime tofu cream.
