I follow Cheese by Numbers on Instagram. I know her posts look so simple but it's actually harder than it looks. So while I practice one of my latest happy hour bite platters, I'll post them, mostly so I recall what I've done. I bought this cool looking platter for about $15 and love the size and shape! It can be dinner for 2 or a platter to serve many with drinks ahead of dinner.
Below is a simple pre-dinner platter using a dinner plate. We have a new media room and I made this one night while we enjoyed a cocktail.
I had a hankering for individual fruit tarts that I made years ago for Christmas desert. I searched my blog and didn't find a thing. Then I searched my kitchen book (where I write menus of past events) and again came up empty. After looking at a few cookbooks, I still couldn't find a recipe that I might have used. After that, I decided to wing it a bit.
I have 6 individual tart pans that are a perfect size.
First I made the dough and baked the shells. In a food processor, combine 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (cut into cubes) with 3 oz Cream Cheese. These can both warm up for about 15 minutes so they are cool but not soft. To this add 1 tsp Sugar and 1/2 tsp Salt. Add 1 Cup Flour and blend until a ball is formed. No not over mix.
Preheat oven to 350. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Give and take until they look about even. With floured fingers, gently press dough into the tart pans so the dough along the sides is fairly even. Know that the dough will stick into the corner so press there and up the sides. It's pretty forgiving. Pierce with a fork along the bottom. Place into hot oven for about 18 minutes until golden brown (and fragrant). Remove from oven and let cool.
To make the lemon curd, to a bowl, add 3 Egg Yolks and beat til pale yellow. Add 3 TBL Fine Sugar and beat until ribblons form when removing the beaters. Zest 2 Lemons straight into the bowl. Juice the 2 Lemons and beat in 2 TBL of the juice (taste to see if you want more and add accordingly.) Place the curd in a small pan and while stirring continually, heat over low heat until it warms through and is thick. Once it's resembles smooth pudding, remove from heat and put the curd in a clean bowl to cool.
NOTE: For fine sugar, beat granulated sugar in a food processor. I prepared a 1 LB bag of Sugar for my various needs and I store it in the bag it came in. You can buy Caster Sugar but it's very expensive.
To this point, all of this can be made ahead. Assemble when you are ready to serve. Place a tart pan on a plate and top the shell with curd. Add fruit of choice and serve at once. It's a delicious dessert any time.
For GF use GF flour when making the shells.
I follow Cheese by Numbers on Instagram. I know her posts look so simple but it's actually harder than it looks. So while I practice one of my latest happy hour bite platters, I'll post them, mostly so I recall what I've done. I bought this cool looking platter for about $15 and love the size and shape! It can be dinner for 2 or a platter to serve many with drinks ahead of dinner. 
