Almond short bread fruit baskets

Dessert can be compared to a cherry on top of a pie. Without dessert - not a big deal. With dessert - life is so much better! Usually sweet treat goes after the main course or by itself. In Uzbekistan, there is an old wonderful tradition to welcome guests with sweet delights. A host prepares a variety of desserts for guests: pies, pastry, nuts, fresh and dry fruits. Hot green tea is an essential part of the Uzbek's sweet table. According to the tradition, in the beginning, a host offers guests to join the table and try all the delights while guests refuse to try them because they respect a host. Finally, everybody joins the table leaving a host very satisfied:-)
When it comes to my desserts, in spite of my HUGE sweet tooth, I like them not too sweet. Also, because I find nuts amazing, I try to incorporate them whenever I can. Sometimes nuts can make cakes heavy, but in this recipe, I used almond mill which is very very light. So here is the recipe:

Ingredients

For the dough
3 large eggs
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 stick of cold butter
1 cup of almond mill
1 cup of unbleached flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 pinch of salt

For the cream
1 package of cream cheese
1 package of whipping cream
1/2 cup of powder sugar

For the filling
1 package of fresh blackberries
2 pilled oranges
Blackberry jam

Instructions

1. Separate egg yolk from egg white.

2. In a bowl, beat together egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer. Add vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour and almond mill, add salt and baking soda.

4. In the bowl with the dry ingredients, grade cold butter and mix it by hands quickly so that butter does not melt.

5. Combine dry ingredients with the beaten egg yolks. Mix them with a paddle (or silicone paddle) until the mixture forms a ball. Refrigerate in a plastic wrap for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

7. Smooth small tart forms with veggie oil or butter so the dough does not stick.

8. Take the dough out of the fridge. Divide into small parts and form balls. Press each ball into a tart form and spread it evenly.

9. Lay the tarts on a baking list and bake them for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Set aside to cool.
Once the tarts are completely cooled, take them out gently.

10. Making the cream: Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar powder with a mixer for 5 minutes. Slowly add whipping cream and continue to mix for another 5 minutes. Set it aside.

11. Cut oranges in small pieces.

12. Assembling a fruit tart: spread blackberry jam over each tart crust. Fill each tart with cream and decorate with fruits.

* You can also glaze fruit tarts with jello. That way you can store them in a refrigerator for some time without making them dry.
* Refrigerate tarts in a covered container.
* You can use any fruits you like instead of blackberries and oranges.

Bon Appetit! :-)