Recipes for Tea Treats

Dear Gentle Friend,

Enclosed are the recipes you requested on Monday at our tea party. I so enjoyed our time together. Let's do it again very soon!

Easy Strawberry Tarts

24 cream cheese tart shells (see recipe below)
1 jar Smucker’s Strawberry Simply Fruit
Cream Cheese Topping (see recipe below)

Fill each thoroughly cooled tart shell with 1 heaping tablespoon of Smuckers Strawberry Simply Fruit. Use cake decorating tube with star tip to top each tart with a cream cheese star.

Recipe for Cream Cheese Tart Shells

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Blend cream cheese and butter or margarine. Stir in flour just until blended. Chill about 1 hour. This can be made ahead and chilled for up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Shape dough into 24 one-inch balls and press into ungreased 1 1/2 inch muffin cups (mini-muffin size) to make a shallow shell. Fill with your favorite filling and bake for 20 minutes, or until light brown.

Recipe For Cream Cheese Topping

1/2 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup heavy cream

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

Cinnamon Scones

2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2-3/4 stick butter
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
additional sugar and cinnamon

Sift together flour, powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; then cut in butter; set aside. In another bowl combine egg, milk, vanilla and raisins; then stir into flour mixture to create dough. Knead dough lightly on floured board. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. (Cut biscuit shape in half and re-shape each piece into a triangle shape, if desired.) Place scones on greased cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-12 minutes.

Enjoy!