Lemon-Blueberry Tartlets - Improv Challenge

I joined yet another challenge group!  This one is the Improv Challenge, a monthly party hosted by Frugal Antics.  For this party, everyone takes the same two assigned ingredients, and comes up with an original dish.

My contribution is (are?) Lemon-Blueberry Tartlets, mostly because the local Try-n-Save had a sale on blueberries and mini-tart shells.  The base is exactly like lemon curd.  Except without the egg yolks.  And the butter.

Okay, it's nothing like lemon curd.   The fat and calories are replaced by sour cream and speed.  This is a fast recipe to bang out.  But since it requires a tool considered exotic by my favorite non-cooks, I am not allowed to call it easy.  But if you can handle a citrus zester without impaling yourself, then this dessert is a snap.

And very addicting.  Do not sneak a taste before serving, or else the 12 tartlets with quickly become 6.

These tartlets prove that fast, easy (oops, somewhat easy) and delicious can live together harmoniously.  I made a batch while cooking an easy dinner (spaghetti with spinach sauce) and the tartlets were finished before the pasta drained.  Good thing, because I needed the colander for the blueberries.  I really should go and buy another one.  That bulls-eye super store had some really cute ones that look as if my big one was left out in the rain and shrunk  ... but I digress ...


Lemon-Blueberry Tartlets
yield: 12 tarlets

lemon zest from 1 lemon, divided
1/3 cup sour cream (low-fat okay)
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
24-36 blueberries (depending upon size)
2 Tbl. granulated sugar
1 pkg. (12 count) mini-phyllo cups, defrosted if frozen

Pick out 12 of the longest strands of lemon zest and set aside.  Mince remaining zest, then add it to a small bowl along with sour cream, confectioner's sugar and lemon juice.  Whisk to combine. If not assembling immediately, cover and chill up to one day.

Just before serving, rinse, drain and pat blueberries dry with a paper towel.  Combine with granulated sugar and set aside a moment.

Spoon 1 teaspoon lemon mixture into each phyllo shell.

Top with 2-3 blueberries depending upon their sizes.

Top each filled shell with a strand of lemon zest. If you are more dexterous than I am, curl the strand of zest decoratively.

Serve immediately.  Don't let them sit more than 15-30 minutes or the shells will absorb moisture from the filling and lose their crispness.

very good recipe tags:  kosher, dessert, easy

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Disclaimer - because this recipe is part of an online cooking challenge, the linked recipes below might not be kosher.