Category: Pies/Tarts

Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart

Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart is a yummy dessert with a shortbread crust and pear, cinnamon, brown sugar filling, topped with buttery streusel.
Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart is a yummy dessert with a shortbread crust and pear, cinnamon, brown sugar filling, topped with buttery streusel.

Many years ago a friend of mine gave me a recipe for an apple tart, and it has become one of my “go to” dessert recipes we love! Over the years I’ve created several other fruit tart recipes using that original “basic” recipe.

Last summer I received a bag of ripe pears from one of our neighbors who has a pear tree. They were very ripe, so they had to be used fairly quickly. This recipe for a pear pecan shortbread tart is the result!

I also made and canned jars of pear butter with them, which was also wonderful, as well. That gift of homegrown pears was such a welcome and generous surprise!

This recipe creates a truly delicious dessert I’m confident you’ll enjoy, so I am sharing the recipe today. Here’s how to make a pear pecan shortbread tart.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Shortbread Crust

The first thing you will need to do is preheat your oven to 400°F . While the oven is preheating, make the shortbread crust, using either a food processor OR a handheld pastry blender.

Combine all purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt and cold butter chunks in a food processor OR a large mixing bowl.

If you’re using a food processor, pulse the ingredients until the mixture is combined and the butter is reduced to the size of peas. If you’re using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the other ingredients until it’s about the size of peas.

Add egg yolks and mix, to combine the yolks with the other ingredients. You should end up with a slightly crumbly mixture.

Cold butter for the crust is mixed with sugar and salt in a food processor.Egg yolks are combined with the crust mixture in food processor.

Make The Shortbread Crust

Remove ¼ of this mixture and set it aside (it will be used later as a topping for the fruit). Take the remaining ¾ of the mixture and pat it firmly into a 9″ tart pan (with a removable bottom disc).

Firmly compact the mixture with your fingers (or the bottom of a glass) to form a compacted, solid bottom crust and sides of the tart pan. When done, set the tart crust aside.

Shortbread mixture is firmly compacted in tart pan to form a crust.

Prepare The Pear Filling

Peel 6 medium sized ripe pears. The riper they are, the sweeter the fruit will be. Peel the pears, cut them in half, remove the core, and then slice each pear into thin slices.

Place the pear slices in a large bowl and add chopped pecans (or walnuts), brown sugar, all purpose flour, cinnamon and vanilla extract. 

Ripe pears are peeled, cored then sliced to make the tart's fruit filling.Flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and vanilla are added to pear slices.

Fill the Shortbread Crust

Gently toss to fully combine the pears with these additional ingredients. This is the filling for your Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart.

Carefully add the pear filling to the shortbread crust, mounding the pears up in the middle of the pan.

After combining ingredients, the fruit filling is ready for the tart crust.Sliced pear filling is added to the shortbread tart crust in pan.

Top The Tart With The Remaining Streusel

Cover the entire surface of the fruit with the reserved streusel topping. Use a spoon to sprinkle it over all of the fruit filling.

TIP: When sprinkling the topping around the edges of the crust, cup your other hand around that section, to help hold the streusel IN the tart. Use all of the streusel topping to fully cover the tart.

Buttery topping is sprinkled over surface of the pear pecan shortbread tart.

Time To Bake!

Now it is time to bake the Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart! Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a middle oven rack. Carefully place the tart on the aluminum foil. The foil will help catch any drips and make cleanup much easier.

Bake the pear pecan shortbread tart at 400°F. for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for 25-30 minutes.

When done, the tart should be slightly bubbly around the edges (from accumulated juices), and the topping should be golden brown in color. Carefully transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool (in pan) at least 15-20 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.

Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart is ready to be baked.After baking, the tart is bubbly around edges and golden brown on top.

Slice And Serve The Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart

When the tart has cooled enough, carefully remove the tart from the pan by pressing up on the bottom disc (from underneath) and lifting up, to remove the tart from the outer ring.

Slice the pear pecan shortbread tart into eight slices, and serve warm with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you have it!

We prefer to eat this dessert war with ice cream, as opposed to blazing hot! It is also wonderful to eat it at room temperature, too.

TIP: This tart is at its BEST eaten the 1st or 2nd day after making it (accumulated pear juices can cause the bottom crust to get slightly  “soggy” after the first couple days). 

After tart pan edges are removed, the crust can be seen from this side view.Slice of pear pecan shortbread tart served with ice cream on a white plate.

I hope you enjoy this delicious dessert as much as we do. I have made this recipe many times using other fruits as well, and they are all delicious!

Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and I hope you have a GREAT day!

Looking for More FRUIT TART OR PIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of fruit pies and tarts to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart is a yummy dessert with a shortbread crust and pear, cinnamon, brown sugar filling, topped with buttery streusel.

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pear pecan shortbread tart
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 470 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Shortbread Crust:
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup COLD butter cut in chunks = 12 Tablespoons
  • 2 large egg yolks
For Fruit Filling:
  • 6 medium ripe pears peeled, cored, thinly slices
  • ½ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
  • 3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

  2. Make shortbread crust, using food processor OR pastry blender. Combine flour, sugar, salt and cold butter chunks in food processor OR large bowl. If using a food processor, pulse ingredients until combined and butter is size of peas. If using a pastry blender, cut butter into other ingredients until combined and butter is size of peas. Add egg yolks and mix, to combine. into a crumbly mixture.

  3. Remove ¼ of crust mixture; set it aside. Take remaining ¾ of the mixture and pat it firmly into a 9" tart pan (with removable bottom disc). Firmly compact mixture with fingers (or bottom of a glass) to form a solid bottom crust and sides of the tart pan. When done, set aside.

  4. Peel pears, cut them vertically in half, remove core; cut pears in thin slices. Place pear slices in large bowl; add pecans, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and vanilla. Gently toss to combine. Carefully add pear filling to shortbread crust, mounding pears up in the middle of the pan.

  5. Cover fruit with reserved topping. Use a spoon to sprinkle it over all fruit filling. TIP: When sprinkling topping around edges of crust, cup other hand around that section, to help hold streusel IN the tart. Use all topping to fully cover the tart.

  6. Place foil on middle oven rack. Carefully place tart pan on foil. Bake at 400°F. for 15 minutes; then reduce heat to 350°F. Continue baking 25-30 minutes. Tart should be bubbly around edges and golden brown in color. Transfer tart pan to a wire rack to cool (in pan) for 15-20 minutes before removing sides of pan.

  7. Remove tart from the pan by pressing up on the bottom disc (from underneath) and lifting up, to remove tart from the outer ring. Slice the pear pecan shortbread tart into eight wedges. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired!

Nutrition Facts
Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
Calories 470 Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 92mg31%
Sodium 215mg9%
Potassium 237mg7%
Carbohydrates 62g21%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 628IU13%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 40mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Pear Pecan Shortbread Tart is a yummy dessert with a shortbread crust and pear, cinnamon, brown sugar filling, topped with buttery streusel.

Chocolate Chess Tart

Make a classic, decadent Chocolate Chess Tart for those you love! This dense, fudge-like tart is easy to make and can be made as a pie, too!
Make a classic, decadent Chocolate Chess Tart for those you love! This dense, fudge-like tart is easy to make and can be made as a pie, too!

If you’re like me, when you first hear the words “chess” tart or “chess” pie you wonder what on earth is that? Do you eat it while playing a game of chess? 

What you should know is there are many “theories” about the origination of the name. Lots of them (insert eye roll here). I found several commonly told stories about how it possibly got its name on Allrecipes. Check it out if you want, because it is kind of interesting.

The bottom line is this is an amazing chocolate dessert (whose actual name is still a bit of a mystery) and I think you will LOVE it! Here’s how to make a chocolate chess tart (or pie, if desired).

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Tart Crust

Press pie dough (homemade OR store-bought) into a 9″ tart pan with a removeable bottom. Trim the top edges of the dough to fit the pan. Pierce the dough several times on the bottom and sides using the tines of a fork. Set aside.

NOTE: If you don’t have a tart pan, no problem! This can easily be made in a 9″ pie crust in a pie pan (NOT deep dish). Whether you choose to make a tart OR a pie, this recipe will be fabulous!

A tart crust is placed in a tart pan, and is ready for filling.

Make The Chocolate Tart Filling

Melt unsweetened baking chocolate and butter in a small saucepan on LOW heat while stirring often. Once the butter and chocolate have melted, remove the pan from the heat.

Set the pan aside to cool the chocolate/butter mixture. IMPORTANT: Let this cool completely before adding it to the remaining ingredients, because it could “scramble the eggs” if it’s too hot. You do NOT want that to happen!

Unsweetened chocolate and butter are melted together in a small saucepan.Chocolate and butter sauce cooling in saucepan.

In a separate bowl combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, flour and vanilla extract. Stir well, until these ingredients have been fully incorporated.

Brown and granulated sugars, eggs, milk, flour, and vanilla extract in bowl.Batter for the tart are combined in white mixing bowl.

Add the cooled chocolate sauce into the bowl of batter in a slow drizzle, stirring constantly as it is added.

Cooled chocolate butter sauce is slowly drizzled into batter.

Ready To Bake!

Pour the chocolate chess tart batter into the unbaked tart shell (or pie crust, if using). Now it’s time to bake this tasty dessert.

The chocolate chess tart filling is poured into the tart shell in pan.

Bake the chocolate chess tart on a middle rack of the oven at 325°F for about 40-45 minutes. When done, the top should be set, nicely browned, and the crust should be golden brown.

Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the top center of the tart (or pie). It should come out free of batter.

Carefully transfer the tart pan to a wire rack, and let it cool 15 minutes before removing the tart pan’s outer band and/or serving.

To remove the tart from the pan, place your hand under the tart and gently push up on the bottom plate to loosen the tart from the outer ring. 

A chocolate chess tart cools on a wire rack after baking.The outer tart pan ring is removed, revealing the beautiful crust.

Serve The Chocolate Chess Tart

Once the tart has cooled completely, it can be sliced and served. Slice the chocolate chess tart in 8 pie shaped wedges.

Serve each slice with whipped topping or a small scoop of ice cream, and enjoy this delicious dessert! It’s so yummy!

 After slices are removed, the inside of the chocolate chess tart is revealed.Slice of chocolate chess tart, served with ice cream and chocolate syrup.

I hope you have the chance to make this delectable chocolate chess tart. I’m confident you’re going to love it as much as we do, because it is easy to make, and tastes incredible!

Thanks for taking time out of your day to stop by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More TART Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious tart recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
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Recipe adapted from the book: “Gooseberry Patch – Have Yourself A Homemade Christmas”, published 2014 by Time Home Entertainment, Inc.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Chocolate Chess Tart
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

Make a classic, decadent Chocolate Chess Tart for those you love! This dense, fudge-like tart is easy to make and can be made as a pie, too!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chess tart
Servings: 8 slices
Calories Per Serving: 443 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 9 inch unbaked pie dough pastry for tart pan or pie pan (not deep dish)
  • ½ cup butter = 1 stick
  • 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate three 1 oz. squares
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed) can substitute light
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 Tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325℉.

  2. Press pie dough (homemade OR purchased) into a 9" tart pan with removeable bottom. Trim top edges of the dough to fit pan. Pierce dough several times on bottom/sides using tines of a fork. Set aside. NOTE: No tart pan? No problem! This can also be made in a 9" pie crust in a pie pan (NOT deep dish).

  3. Melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan on LOW heat, stirring often. Once melted, remove pan from heat. Set pan aside to let sauce cool completely.

  4. In separate bowl combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, flour and vanilla. Stir well, until ingredients are fully incorporated.

  5. Pour cooled chocolate sauce into the batter in a slow drizzle, stirring constantly as it is added, until combined. Pour chocolate batter into unbaked tart shell (or pie crust, if using).

  6. Bake on a middle oven rack at 325°F for 40-45 minutes. When done, the top should be set, nicely browned, and the crust should be golden brown. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the top center of the tart (or pie). It should come out free of batter. Carefully transfer tart pan to a wire rack; let it cool 15 minutes before removing tart pan's outer band and/or serving.

  7. To remove tart from the pan, place your hand under the tart; gently push up on the bottom plate to loosen tart from the outer ring. Cool completely, then cut into 8 slices. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping (optional). Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Chess Tart
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
Calories 443 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 222mg10%
Potassium 174mg5%
Carbohydrates 55g18%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 39g43%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 426IU9%
Calcium 51mg5%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a classic, decadent Chocolate Chess Tart for those you love! This dense, fudge-like tart is easy to make and can be made as a pie, too!

Little Pecan Pies For Two

Little Pecan Pies For Two are a delicious, rich-tasting dessert! Each mini pie can serve 2 people, or 1 person (if you don’t mind calories)!
Little Pecan Pies For Two are a delicious, rich-tasting dessert! Each mini pie can serve 2 people, or 1 person (if you don't mind calories)!

Do you love pecan pie, but don’t need to have an ENTIRE PIE sitting around the house, tempting you every single day until it’s gone?

Perhaps you’re single or are a couple, and don’t want a whole pie, but just crave a little taste of delicious pecan pie? These little pecan pies for two might be the recipe you’re looking for!

My husband and I enjoy them, because we can split a small one for a nice dessert. That way we don’t eat enough pecan pie to induce a sugar coma (ha ha), but have enough to satisfy both of us.

Growing up I did not like pecan pie, because it is so rich and decadently sweet. It just so happens I’m married to a guy that LOVES pecan pie, so occasionally I make them now, to make him happy (especially at Thanksgiving). I have now grown to actually enjoy them. Who knew?

Here’s how to make these cute little pecan pies.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Dough For The Crust

Stir together all purpose flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand held pastry blender to cut in vegetable shortening until the dough is crumbly and the shortening is reduced to the size of peas.

Gradually add 4 teaspoons of very cold water into the dough, mixing by hand as you add it, until you can shape the dough into a cohesive ball with your hands.

Have a food processor? If you have access to a food processor, it will take a little less time for this step. Pulse flour, salt and shortening together until “pea-sized”, then allow COLD water to drizzle in while pulsing, until mixture comes together in a ball.

Tightly wrap the dough ball and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. While the dough chills, make the pie filling.

A pastry blender is used to cut vegetable shortening into flour/salt mixture.Pie crust dough is shaped into a ball, then wrapped and refrigerated.

Make The Pie Filling

It is really easy to make the filling for these little pies. Place one egg, corn syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Use a fork and mix these ingredients very well, until they’re fully combined. This is the filling for the little pecan pies for two. You will add the pecans (separately) later.

Egg, brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla for pie filling are in a bowl.Mixed with a fork, the pie filling is combined and ready to fill pie crusts.

Using Miniature Tart Pans

For this recipe I typically use two, 4½” tart pans with a removable bottom, which I’ve shown below. After baking and cooling, the bottom metal plate can be pressed up from the bottom, separating the tart from the pan for serving.

You can also use two miniature pie pans (same approximate size) to make this recipe. I’ve done both, but typically use the tart pans as my first choice.

Miniature tart pans with removable bottom plates are used for this dessert.

Time To Make The Pie Crusts

Remove the chilled pie crust dough from the refrigerator. Divide the dough in half, then roll each piece into a 6″ circle on a lightly floured surface.

Place the pastry dough into two 4½” tart pans or into two miniature pie pans about the same size. Patch any tears in the crust.

If using a tart pan, trim the edges of the dough to fit the top rim of the pan, and press the dough lightly into the crimped edges. If using a miniature pie pan, crimp the top edges, to form the crust.

Chilled dough is cut into two pieces to form crust.Two little tart pans, filled with the chilled pie dough.

Fill And Bake The Miniature Pies

Divide the pecan halves on the bottom of each pie crust, covering as much of the bottom crust as possible.

Carefully pour (or spoon) the pie filling over the pecans and into the pie crust, until it’s almost to the top. The pecans will rise in the pan as the filling is added. NOTE: You might have a small amount of pie filling left over. 

Pecan halves are added to the pie dough crust.Pie filling is poured over the pecans in the pie crusts.

Cool, Then Serve The Little Pecan Pies For Two

Place the pies on a large baking sheet, and place them into a preheated 375°F. oven, being careful to not spill the filling!

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the top comes out clean. The little pies should be nicely browned on the top, and the crust should have very slightly pulled away from the edges.

Cool the little pecan pies for two on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before removing them out of the tart pans (if using).

One of the little pecan pies for two, cooling, after baking for 35 minutes.Transferred out of the tart pans, little pecan pies for two cool on a wire rack.

Top each of the pies with whipped cream (optional, but yummy!), and serve. Pecan pies are very sweet and rich tasting, so my husband and I typically split one between the two of us. A little bit goes far!

If you want YOUR OWN little bitty pecan pie (and the calories that go with it), then by ALL MEANS… dig in! I know you’ll enjoy every single bite!

Little pecan pies for two, served on a white plate, with whipped cream on top.The inside of the miniature pecan pies is thick, sweet, and decadent.

I hope you have the opportunity to make these cute little dessert pies, and am confident you’ll enjoy them. They’re delicious!

Thanks for stopping by, and please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious desserts to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

Original recipe source: “Taste of Home” magazine, Feb,/Mar 2001 issue, page 11, published by Reiman Publications.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Little Pecan Pies For Two
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

Little Pecan Pies For Two are a delicious, rich-tasting dessert! Each mini pie can serve 2 people, or 1 person (if you don't mind calories)!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: little pecan pies for two
Servings: 4 (½ a mini pie per serving)
Calories Per Serving: 311 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Crust:
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 4 teaspoons very cold water
For Filling:
  • 1 large egg
  • cup packed dark brown sugar
  • cup light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Stir flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or two forks until shortening is reduced to the size of peas. Slowly add cold water into dough, mixing by hand as it's added, until you can shape dough into a ball. Have a food processor? Pulse flour, salt and shortening until "pea-sized", drizzle COLD water in while pulsing, until mixture comes together in a ball. Wrap dough ball; refrigerate 30 minutes. While chilling, make pie filling and preheat oven to 375℉.

  2. Place egg, corn syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Use a fork to fully combine these ingredients. Set aside.

  3. Remove chilled dough from refrigerator. Divide in half; roll each piece into a 6" circle on lightly floured surface. Transfer dough into tart pans or miniature pie pans. Patch any tears in the dough. If using tart pan, trim dough even with top rim of the pan. Press dough lightly into the crimped edges. If using mini pie pan, scallop edges, to form a crust.

  4. Divide pecan halves into pans, covering bottom as much as possible. Carefully pour (or spoon) pie filling over pecans (almost to the top of the pie crust).

  5. Carefully place pies on baking sheet and into a 375°F. oven (don't spill the filling). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted into the top comes out clean. Pies should be browned on top, and crust should be slightly pulled away from edges. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing them from the tart pans.

  6. Top pies with whipped cream (optional, but yummy), and serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Little Pecan Pies For Two
Amount Per Serving (1 ½ of a mini pie)
Calories 311 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 47mg16%
Sodium 114mg5%
Potassium 59mg2%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 0.4g2%
Sugar 40g44%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 68IU1%
Calcium 29mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Little Pecan Pies For Two are a delicious, rich-tasting dessert! Each mini pie can serve 2 people, or 1 person (if you don't mind calories)!

Blackberry Pie

Use fresh or frozen blackberries to make a delicious classic blackberry pie using a homemade or purchased pie crust! Summertime at its best!
Use fresh or frozen blackberries to make a delicious classic blackberry pie using a homemade or purchased pie crust! Summertime at its best!

If you’re looking for a real taste of summer, try this yummy recipe for blackberry pie. Simple to make, using store-bought or homemade pie crusts and fresh or frozen blackberries, this is a delicious dessert that can be enjoyed year-round.

Where we live in NW Oregon, blackberries grow wild practically everywhere. Sometimes in the summer I can even pick a big pail of blackberries while out walking our dog (he is patient while I pick them!). I figure… why waste a perfect opportunity to get some FREE fresh blackberries! I’ve made so many great recipes using them over the years, from muffins, to syrup, jam, cobblers, crisps, etc. that I can’t wait for them to ripen each summer. This blackberry pie is another way to use a bunch of fresh or frozen blackberries to make a delicious PIE.  Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

A Word About The Pie Crust

This pie requires a top and bottom crust. You can use your favorite pie crust recipe OR buy a 2 crust package at the store. NOTE: If purchasing pie crusts for convenience, do not buy the premade pie “shells” in the freezer section. Buy the type of pie pastry dough that you unroll from the pkg. then manually roll out and place in pan (Pillsbury has this in most grocery stores in refrigerated section).

For your convenience, I’ve included my homemade pie crust recipe and instructions (to make two) in the printable recipe card, but feel free to use whatever pie crust recipe you enjoy. The rest of this post will show you how to make this pie, assuming you already have the pie crusts made or purchased.

Make The Pie Filling

Place 5 cups of fresh blackberries OR frozen (unsweetened and unthawed) into a large mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and zest and gently toss until combined.

Blackberries are tossed with sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and zest until combined.

Filling The Pie Crust

Place one crust into a 9″ deep dish pie pan. Prick the bottom and sides of the bottom pastry crust several times with the tines (the pointy ends) of a fork. Pour the blackberry pie filling into the prepared crust. Cut the butter into small chunks and dot the top of the fruit filling with the butter.

The pie crust pastry is pricked with the tines of a fork, then pie filling is added.Blackberry pie filling is added to crust and dotted with butter before adding top pastry crust.

Top the blackberry pie with the other pie crust. Trim the edges of the dough to about 1/2″ from the outside edge of the pie pan. Seal the edges of the top crust to the bottom crust by tucking the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust, and pinching the two crusts together to seal. Use your fingers to seal the two crusts together and then create a fluted edge.

Use a sharp knife to cut 3-4 small slits in the top crust. These are the “air vents” that allow the hot steam to escape while the pie bakes. Now the blackberry pie is ready to be baked.

Top crust is added and shaped, then steam vents are cut into the top before baking.

Baking The Blackberry Pie

Bake the blackberry pie at 425°F. for 45-50 minutes. TIP: Place a sheet of aluminum foil directly UNDER the pie pan, to catch drips that may bubble up and out while baking.

TIP: Check the pie after 30 minutes. If the crust is browning too fast, simply lay another sheet of aluminum foil over the top to protect the crust from over-browning, then continue baking. When done, the pie crust will be lightly browned and the juices will be bubbling up in the steam vents on top.

Partway through the baking time, the crust is turning golden in color.The finished blackberry pie is golden brown on top and the filling is bubbly around the edges.

Who’s Ready For A Slice Of Blackberry Pie?

Let the pie cool down a bit, so it’s not all “molten lava-like” inside. This resting time helps the juices stabilize, which will allow you to slice the pie better. Once the pie has cooled slightly (10-15 minutes), cut it into 8 slices, and serve them warm, with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side! The crust comes out golden and flaky, and the blackberry pie tastes amazing!

This really is a perfect summer treat using fresh berries, but nowadays this pie can be made year round, thanks to the availability of frozen blackberries in most grocery stores! YUM!

After a few pieces have been cut, here is a look at the blackberry filling inside the pie.A slice of blackberry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, served on a white plate.

I hope you have the opportunity to make this delicious blackberry pie for your family or friends.  If you enjoy blackberries, check out my recipes for Blackberry Crisp, Blackberry Jam, Blackberry Muffins, Blackberry Pie Bars and Blackberry Soda! I even have yummy recipes for Blackberry Scones and Blackberry Pancake Syrup! Have a great day, and thank you for stopping by. Please come back again soon!

Looking For More PIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful pie recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Author's signature

Original recipe source: Pie Filling adapted from “The New Pillsbury Family Cookbook, page 149, published 1973 by The Pillsbury Company
Homemade Pie Crust Recipe from my Mom here

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Blackberry Pie
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Use fresh or frozen blackberries to make a delicious classic blackberry pie using a homemade or purchased pie crust! Summertime at its best!

Category: Desssert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blackberry pie
Servings: 8 slices
Calories Per Serving: 453 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
Homemade Pie Crust (for 2 nine inch deep dish crusts - top and bottom crust)
  • 2 cups un-sifted all purpose flour
  • cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5-7 Tablespoons ice cold water
Pie Filling:
  • 5 cups blackberries see NOTE re: frozen berries
  • cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

Make The Pie Crust:
  1. Place flour, shortening and salt in food processor (or large bowl if hand-mixing). Pulse (if using food processor) or cut in the shortening with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until shortening is reduced to the size of peas. Drizzle in ice cold water starting with least amount (5Tbl.) and adding more later, if necessary. Process (or knead by hand) until well-combined and mixture can be formed into a ball.

  2. Divide dough ball evenly in half. Place one dough ball on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to a circle, about 10-11" in diameter. Place the crust in a 9" deep dish pie pan, then follow directions below for filling pie crust. Roll out remaining dough ball (top crust) following same process.

Make The Pie:
  1. Place fresh blackberries OR frozen (unsweetened/unthawed) into large mixing bowl. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and zest; gently toss to combine.

  2. Place one pie crust into a 9" deep dish pie pan. Prick bottom/sides of crust several times with the tines of a fork. Pour pie filling into prepared crust. Cut butter into chunks; dot the top of pie filling with butter.

  3. Top pie with 2nd crust, stretching slightly to meet edges of bottom crust. Trim edges of dough to ½" from outside edge of pan. Seal edges of top crust to bottom crust by tucking top crust under the edge of the bottom crust. Pinch two crusts together to seal. Use your fingers to seal the two crusts together, then create fluted edge around pie. Use sharp knife to cut 3-4 small slits in top crust. They allow steam to escape while pie bakes.

  4. Bake on middle rack in preheated 425°F.oven for 45-50 minutes. TIP: Place a sheet of aluminum foil UNDER pie pan, to catch drips that may bubble out while baking. TIP: Check pie after 30 minutes. If crust is browning too fast, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top, then continue baking. When done, the pie crust should be lightly browned and juices will be bubbling up in the steam vents.

  5. Let pie cool down about 10-15 minutes. Cut into 8 slices, and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!

Recipe Notes

NOTES:
**You may also use two purchased pastry pie dough crusts (the kind you roll out) or two of your own pie crust recipe. You will need 2 pastry pie crusts for this pie (top and bottom crust)

**If using frozen berries, add them directly into the flour and sugar while still frozen.

Nutrition Facts
Blackberry Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
Calories 453 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Sodium 294mg13%
Potassium 190mg5%
Carbohydrates 70g23%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 36g40%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 193IU4%
Vitamin C 19mg23%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Use fresh or frozen blackberries to make a delicious classic blackberry pie using a homemade or purchased pie crust! Summertime at its best!

Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie

Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie, filled with creamy sweet/tart lemon filling and topped with puffy meringue, is a fabulous dessert you’ll love!
Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie, filled with creamy sweet/tart lemon filling and topped with puffy meringue, is a fabulous dessert you'll love!

Today I want to share a delicious recipe for Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie with you. This recipe is very special to me, because my Dad typed it up and e-mailed it to me almost 19 years ago before he passed away. My father loved to cook, and enjoyed listening to a cooking show on the radio on his daily commute to work. He said he thought that’s how he originally got this recipe.

About 20 years ago, both my Mom AND Dad were confined to bed due to different circumstances. My Mom had severely hurt her back, and my Dad had become paralyzed from the chest down due to complications from bone cancer. Since my Mom was my Dad’s full-time caregiver, they needed some extra help!  I flew home from our home in Oregon to their home in Southern California to take care of them while they both were bedridden. While there, I cooked all the meals for the 3 of us, and enjoyed sharing each one with them.

One day while there, I found this recipe written down in my Mom’s recipe box and made it as a surprise for them, using lemons from a tree in their backyard. They were so surprised when I brought them slices of fresh sour cream lemon meringue pie upstairs! Of course I “sacrificed for the team” (wink, wink) and ate pie too, and we were thrilled with this dessert. My Dad later sent me the recipe via e-mail so I would always have it. I have treasured this recipe ever since, because I got it from my DAD, who I dearly loved. Here’s how to make this decadent pie:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Use A Pre-Baked Pie Shell

You can use a purchased pie crust or a homemade one for the pie. Prick the pie crust on the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork, so it won’t “bubble up” too much when pre-baked. You can also put parchment paper on the bottom and fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans to weigh the pastry down.

Bake the crust at 350°F. until golden brown around the edges (approx. 8-10 minutes). Set the baked pie crust aside to let it cool.

Pie shell is baked before making pie filling, and is allowed to cool before filling.

Make The Lemon Pie Filling

Now it’s time to make the pie filling. Combine granulated sugar, salt and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Add milk, and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Remove the pan from the heat, and set it aside.

In a small bowl, slightly beat egg yolks. Slowly drizzle in a small amount of the hot milk mixture, a Tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly (total of about 1/3 cup). Keep stirring while adding, because you do NOT want the hot liquid to scramble the egg yolks! This is called “tempering” the eggs, because you “warm them up” so they won’t cook when the cold eggs hit the hot liquid.

Sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk cook in a saucepan until thickened and bubbly.A small amount of milk mixture is used to temper egg yolks so they don't get scrambled.

Slowly add the warmed egg yolks back into the milk in the saucepan, stirring constantly as they’re added. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove the pan from the heat. Immediately stir in the butter, lemon juice, and all but ½ teaspoon of the lemon zest. Cover the pan, and let the pie filling cool to room temperature before completing the final step.

Once tempered, egg mixture is added into the pan with the thickened milk mixture.Milk and egg thickener is heated in saucepan for two minutes to cook.Butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice are added to the saucepan to make the pie filling.

Final Step To Make The Filling

When the pie filling is at room temperature, fold in the sour cream. Once combined, pour the pie filling into the cooled, pre-baked pie crust. Set the pie aside while you make the meringue topping.

Sour cream is folded into the cooled lemon filling.

Pre-baked pie crust is filled with the creamy lemon filling.

Prepare Meringue And Cover the Pie Filling

Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar (a little at a time while beating), and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread the meringue carefully over the pie filling, sealing the meringue to the crust. I use the back of a large spoon to drag it all the way to the edges. The filling should be completely sealed in. This way it won’t produce moisture on top of the meringue, due to gaps between the filling and the meringue.

Take the back of the spoon and “decorate” the meringue topping by pulling up small dollops of meringue to form peaks on the pie.

Meringue is carefully spread over the surface of warm pie filling, all the way to seal the edges.Decorative dollops of meringue are formed with a spoon on top of pie.

Bake The Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie

Bake the sour cream lemon meringue pie in a preheated 350°F. oven for 13-15 minutes. When done, the meringue should be golden brown on top. The pie filling should only BARELY jiggle in the middle.

Remove the sour cream lemon meringue pie from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle with the reserved lemon zest. Let the pie cool completely, and then slice and serve! 

Lemon zest is added to top of the sour cream lemon meringue pie after baking.

Time To EAT!

Slice the pie into 8 wedges, and transfer onto serving plates. It’s SO DELICIOUS, and I think you’ll enjoy this sour cream lemon meringue pie as much as we do! Remember to store any leftover pie in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 3 days. Meringue tends to “break down” a bit when stored, so this pie is at its best served the day it’s made (or within 24 hours).

A slice of the sour cream lemon meringue pie on a plate with a lemon slice garnish.

The pie is a perfect combo of sweet and tart, and the fluffy meringue puts it right over the edge! YUMMY! I hope you can make this pie for those you love, and trust they will enjoy it, too. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back for more family friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!.

Looking For More PIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few delicious pie recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

1 from 1 vote
Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Inactive "Cooling" Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 

Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie, filled with creamy sweet/tart lemon filling and topped with puffy meringue, is a fabulous dessert you'll love!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sour cream lemon meringue pie
Servings: 8 slices
Calories Per Serving: 269 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 9" baked pie pastry shell
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 large eggs **separated
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (fresh)
  • 2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest **divided use
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. To pre-bake crust, prick pie crust on bottom and sides with tines of a fork. Bake crust at 350°F. until light brown around edges (approx. 8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool.

Make Pie Filling
  1. Combine 1 C. sugar, salt, cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add milk; stir to combine. Cook on medium, stirring constantly, until thick/bubbly. Remove from heat; set pan aside.

  2. In small bowl, slightly beat egg yolks. Slowly drizzle in a small amount of the hot milk mixture, a Tablespoon at a time (total approx. 1/3 cup), stirring or whisking constantly. Keep stirring while adding, because you don't want hot liquid to scramble egg yolks! Slowly add warmed egg yolks back into milk in saucepan, stirring constantly as they're added. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat. Immediately stir in butter, lemon juice, and all but ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Cover pan; let pie filling cool to room temperature.

  3. Once at room temp., fold in sour cream. When combined, pour pie filling into room temp. baked pie crust. Set pie aside.

Make Meringue
  1. Use electric mixer to beat egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla until soft peaks form. Add 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar (little at a time while beating), and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie filling, sealing meringue to the crust. Use back of large spoon to drag it all the way to the edges. Filling should be completely sealed in. Take the back of the spoon and "decorate" meringue by pulling up small dollops of meringue to form peaks on pie.

Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F. for 13-15 minutes. When done, meringue should be golden brown. Pie filling should only BARELY jiggle in the middle. Transfer pie from oven to wire rack. Sprinkle with reserved lemon zest. Let pie cool completely, then slice and serve! Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe Notes

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Caloric calculation was made WITHOUT the pie crust included. There are so many types of pie crusts (frozen, refrigerated, handmade with butter or shortening, etc.) all with varying ingredients that you might use. On average, pie crust has between 110-175 calories per slice, so please take this into account.

Nutrition Facts
Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
Calories 269 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 97mg32%
Sodium 115mg5%
Potassium 157mg4%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 36g40%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 402IU8%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 91mg9%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie, filled with creamy sweet/tart lemon filling and topped with puffy meringue, is a fabulous dessert you'll love!

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Chocolate Raspberry Torte is a decadent, fudgy dessert, topped with raspberry glaze, fresh raspberries and powdered sugar! It tastes amazing!
Chocolate Raspberry Torte is a decadent, fudgy dessert, topped with raspberry glaze, fresh raspberries and powdered sugar! It tastes amazing!

If you’re looking for a show-stopper dessert for Valentines Day or any other special occasion, may I suggest this incredible chocolate raspberry torte? Chocolate and raspberries are one of my husband’s absolute favorite flavor combinations, so I KNEW he would love this treat!

I found the recipe in a very old cookbook I bought years and years ago in a thrift store. Recently I was reading through it looking for new ideas and stumbled upon this recipe which grabbed my attention with its beautiful presentation.

It can be made in several formats: using an 8″ springform round pan, a heart-shaped 8″ springform, OR in 4-5 individual 4″ springform pans. All these pans need to have removeable bottoms.

The chocolate raspberry torte is amazing in taste, and dense and fudgy in texture. Topped with a simple layer of raspberry glaze and then beautiful fresh raspberries and powdered sugar, it’s a classy looking dessert!

Today I want to share the steps used, to demonstrate how you can make it, too.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Pan

Before beginning, preheat your oven to 325°F. Whether you are using an 8″ round, 8″ heart-shaped, or 4″ mini springform pans, grease/spray the removeable bottom of the pan (s) you are using.

I cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, and then spray. That helps the torte not stick to the bottom of the pan, so it can be easily removed for serving. Set pan aside.

TIP: I find it helpful to wrap a strip of aluminum foil tightly around the bottom edges of the springform pan to help prevent batter from potentially leaking out of the pan.

A heart shaped pan with removable bottom is placed inside a round springform pan.

Time To Make The Batter

In a medium saucepan, combine chopped chocolate, butter, and milk. Cook and stir these ingredients on LOW heat until the chocolate has completely melted.

Once the chocolate has melted and  is very smooth, remove pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for 20 minutes.

Bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate is melted with butter and milk in a saucepan.The chocolate mixture is stirred until all chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth.

While the chocolate is cooling, place eggs and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on LOW speed, just until they are combined. Add granulated sugar and all purpose flour to the egg mixture.

Beat these ingredients with the electric mixer on HIGH speed for 10 full minutes.

Pour the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture slowly, stirring the chocolate in, as it is added. NOTE: The reason you need to make sure the chocolate has cooled is so you don’t “scramble” the eggs as it is being added. No one wants that in their chocolate torte, right?

Eggs, vanilla, sugar and flour are mixed with an electric mixer for 10 minutes.Chocolate mixture is added slowly to egg mixture and then stirred to combine.

Time To Bake!

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared springform pan (or pans) you are using. Bake the chocolate raspberry torte for 30-35 minutes (mini pans about 25-30). The torte is finished cooking when the outer 1/3 of the top is lightly puffed.

The center of the torte may still LOOK underbaked, but it will firm up as it cools (see photo #2 below). Because the torte is so dense, the traditional way of testing doneness with a toothpick in the middle will NOT work.

Let torte cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Use a knife to go around the edges to loosen the torte from the sides of the pan.

Once completely cooled, remove the sides of the pan. Carefully wrap the entire torte in aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight (up to 2 days).

The batter is poured into the springform pan (this one shaped like a heart)After baking, the torte cools on rack, then sides of the pan are removed and the torte is refrigerated.

Finishing The Chocolate Raspberry Torte

When you are ready to serve the torte, unwrap it and let it come to room temperature. Melt seedless raspberry jam in a small saucepan on low heat, then remove pan from heat and let jam cool.

Once cooled, spread raspberry glaze over the top surface of the torte. Cover the jam glaze with fresh raspberries, adding them to the torte with the stem side facing DOWN.

Seedless raspberry jam is heated, stirring until mixture becomes a smooth glaze.The raspberry glaze is spread onto chilled torte, then decorated with fresh raspberries to cover.The surface of the chocolate raspberry torte is covered with fresh raspberries.

Slight Variations On The Shape And Size Of The Torte

Additional note: If you are using an 8″ round springform pan OR several, mini 4″ pans, follow all instructions written for the “heart-shaped” version.

Tortes made in 4″ pans will take a few minutes less to cook, but everything else will remain the same (divide jam/raspberries between small torte pans).

A round 8" springform pan may also be used for this recipe, as well as individual 4" round springform pans.

Who Wants A Slice Of A Chocolate Raspberry Torte?

The final step I recommend before serving is to lightly “dust” the top of the chocolate raspberry torte with sifted powdered sugar. I think it looks beautiful with this finishing touch!

Whether you prepare the dish in a heart-shaped springform pan, an 8″ round springform pan OR 4-5 individual 4″ springform pans, give it this light dusting. You’ll be glad you did!

Cut the torte in thin slices. You should get about 16 total servings this way. The dessert is very dense and fudgy, so a little slice will go a long way!

I made two extra 4″ individual sized tortes and shared them with a young family of 3 that recently moved into our neighborhood. They (all 3 of them) shared one the first night and split the remaining one the following evening.

They said they were “fabulous!”, and I agree. My husband and I can barely keep out of this dessert because it is so delicious!

After dusting the chocolate raspberry torte with powdered sugar, it is ready to be served!A slice of the chocolate raspberry torte, sliced and served on a white plate.

I hope you will have the opportunity to make this decadent dessert for those you love. I know I will be DEFINITELY making this again and again!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you will come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More Delicious CHOCOLATE Desserts?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of amazing recipes for chocolate desserts you’ll enjoy, including”

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: The cookbook “A Passion For Chocolate”, published in 2000 by Meredith Corporation, pages 74-75

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Chocolate Raspberry Torte
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Refrigeration overnight-inactive
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 55 mins
 

Chocolate Raspberry Torte is a decadent, fudgy dessert, topped with raspberry glaze, fresh raspberries and powdered sugar! It tastes amazing!

Category: Desssert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate raspberry torte
Servings: 16
Calories Per Serving: 271 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped *(see NOTE below)
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped *(see NOTE below)
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup SEEDLESS red raspberry jam
  • 1½-2 cups fresh red raspberries
  • sifted powdered sugar (for garnish)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Cover bottom of pan(s) with parchment paper cut to fit; grease or spray bottom of pan. Set pan aside. TIP: Wrap a strip of aluminum foil tightly around bottom edges of pan to help prevent batter from leaking out of pan.

  2. In medium saucepan, combine chocolate, butter, and milk. Cook and stir on LOW heat until chocolate has melted. Once chocolate has melted and is very smooth, remove pan from heat; let cool off heat for 20 minutes.

  3. While chocolate cools, place eggs and vanilla extract in separate large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer on LOW speed, only until combined. Add sugar and flour to eggs. Beat with electric mixer on HIGH speed for a full 10 minutes. Pour cooled chocolate into the egg mixture slowly, stirring as it's added.

  4. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake on middle rack for 30-35 minutes (mini pans about 25-30). It's done when the outer 1/3 of the top is lightly puffed. The center will still LOOK under-baked, but will firm up as it cools. Because it is so dense, the traditional way of testing doneness with a toothpick in the middle will NOT work. Let torte cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Use a knife to go around edges to loosen torte from sides of the pan. Once completely cooled, remove sides of pan. Carefully wrap torte in aluminum foil; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight (up to 2 days).

  5. To serve torte, unwrap it. Place onto serving platter and let it come to room temperature. Melt seedless raspberry jam in small pan on low heat; remove pan from heat; let jam cool. Once cooled, spread it over top of torte. Cover jam with fresh raspberries, adding them to torte stem side DOWN. Lightly "dust" the top of the torte with sifted powdered sugar. Cut the torte in 16 thin slices, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTES: Can substitute all 14 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate (and no bittersweet) OR can substitute 14 oz. of bittersweet (and no semi-sweet). I prefer the combo of both but it will be fine using only one type of chocolate if that is what you have access to.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Raspberry Torte
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/16 of total))
Calories 271 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 75mg25%
Sodium 79mg3%
Potassium 193mg6%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 282IU6%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chocolate Raspberry Torte is a decadent, fudgy dessert, topped with raspberry glaze, fresh raspberries and powdered sugar! It tastes amazing!

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4″) decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 small servings per tart). THEY’RE SO GOOD!
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4") decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 servings per tart). SO GOOD!

Oh boy… this is one delicious dessert! Many, many years ago, I ripped a page out of one of my Sunset magazines because the dessert I saw was calling to me. Ha Ha! This is that dessert! I don’t even know which issue it was in, because I ripped the page out (oops). All I know is I LOVE this dessert.

I modified the original recipe to make two cute chocolate caramel pecan tarts. This was done to use my mini tart pans AND because you can never go wrong with smaller sized portions, especially when the dessert is so decadent. My husband and I cut each tart into small portions, but we can’t stay out of them, going back again and again for another bite. Dangerous!

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts taste like a chocolate chip pecan pie… on steroids! This treat features a buttery shortbread bottom crust, chocolate pecan filling, and is drizzled with a homemade (easy) caramel sauce. Oh my goodness- it tastes AMAZING! Rich, dense, cute looking and sweet, this is one dessert you’ll enjoy serving to those you love. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make And Bake The Crust

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place flour, sugar, and COLD chunks of butter in a small mixing bowl. Rub these ingredients together with your (clean) fingers (or use a pastry blender) until the mixture becomes coarse crumbs You will need to use cold butter so it doesn’t melt between your fingers. Add, and stir in a teaspoon of water.

Work the dough into a ball, squeezing dough together as you form the ball, to hold it together. Lightly butter two 4″ tart pans (the kind with removable rims). Divide the dough into two equal parts and place in the two tart pans. Firmly press the dough down to form a bottom crust, and let the dough extend up about 1″ around the sides of the pan.

NOTE: Don’t have 4″ tart pans? This recipe can also be made using one 6″ wide cake or tart pan (with removable rim). General directions and bake time are the same, and will yield one tart that you can be sliced into 6 small portions.

Bake the crust at 350°F. until the crust becomes golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes, and the crust should be firm to the touch when pressed lightly. Remove from the oven and transfer the pans to a wire rack.

Cold butter, flour and sugar are rubbed together to form coarse crumbs in bowl.Dough is divided into two 4" tart pans and pressed to make crust on bottom and sides.Crust is baked for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Make The Chocolate Chip Pecan Filling

While the crusts are baking, make the filling for the chocolate caramel pecan tarts. Place the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl. These ingredients are egg, granulated sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, chopped pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir to fully combine the filling.

When the crusts come out of the oven, let them sit for 1-2 minutes to cool slightly. Carefully pour the filling onto the warm crust, dividing evenly between the two pans. Once filed, put the tarts back into the oven. Bake the chocolate caramel pecan tarts for approximately 30 minutes. When done, the surface will be golden brown and when the pan is lightly shaken, the filling will be set. Transfer the pans to a wire rack, and let the tarts cool for AT LEAST half an hour or more before removing the pan rims to serve.

Ingredients for the chocolate pecan tart filling are combined in a large mixing bowl.Filling for the chocolate caramel pecan tarts is poured onto baked crust.After baking 30 minutes, the chocolate caramel pecan tarts cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Make The Caramel Sauce For Drizzling The Top Of The Tart

While the tarts cool, make the decadent, EASY caramel sauce to drizzle over the dessert for serving. Place a Tablespoon of butter and 5 Tablespoons of granulated sugar in a 1½ quart saucepan. Cook on HIGH heat, stirring often until the sugar has melted and turns amber in color. This will take about 3 minutes, and you will need to keep a close watch on it, so the sugar doesn’t burn.

When the sugar turns amber in color, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream, and continue stirring until the mixture becomes smooth. When you add the whipping cream it will “sputter” a bit (that’s normal). Once fully combined, the warm caramel sauce is ready to drizzle on the finished tarts.

Collage showing making caramel sauce with butter, granulated sugar and whipping cream.

When the chocolate caramel pecan tarts have cooled for at least half an hour, you’re ready to serve this yummy dessert. Release the outer rims of the pans to reveal the tart. Doesn’t it look scrumptious? The buttery shortbread crust goes part of the way up the sides of the tart, and holds together very well.

Once the tart pan rims have been removed, you can see the golden brown crust on the side.

Serving The Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts

The decision will have to be made about how many pieces to cut the tart into for serving. The chocolate caramel pecan tarts are VERY RICH in flavor, so we have found a small piece always satisfies. Each tart can be cut into either 2, 3 or 4 small pieces. We usually end up slicing 3-4 small portions per tart because it is so rich tasting, but the decision on serving size is up to you.

Below is a photo of one entire tart. To serve you can garnish the whole tart or you can make each individual slice look good with it’s own garnish. Again… your choice. For the sake of the photo, I am showing you an entire tart, garnished for serving.

To serve, drizzle the top of the tarts (or slices) with caramel sauce, allowing it to run down the sides. Dollop with whipped cream, and add a fresh sprig of mint for color! The second photo below is included to show you what the filling looks like inside the tart. It is dense and thick, and tastes quite amazing!

Each of the chocolate caramel pecan tarts is served with caramel sauce, whipped cream and a mint sprig.The inside of each the tarts is thick, rich in taste and dense in texture.

I really hope you’ll give the chocolate caramel pecan tarts a try. There are a few steps involved for the recipe, but trust me… you will love this dessert! Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again for more family-friendly recipes. Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of yummy dessert recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Recipe Adapted From: Sunset magazine (edition unknown), page 114 (page ripped out from an old magazine)

0 from 0 votes
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4") decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 servings per tart). SO GOOD!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate caramel pecan tarts
Servings: 6 small servings
Calories Per Serving: 352 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Crust:
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cold butter , cut in chunks
  • 1 teaspoon water
For Tart Filling:
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped pecans
  • 3 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
For Caramel Topping:
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or butter 4" tart pans (with removeable rims) on bottom and sides.

  2. Make Crust: Place flour, sugar, and COLD chunks of butter in a small mixing bowl. Rub together with your fingers (or use pastry blender) until mixture becomes coarse crumbs Add/stir in a teaspoon of water. Work dough into a ball, squeezing dough to hold it together. Divide dough into two equal parts; place in pans. Firmly press dough to form bottom crust, letting dough extend up about 1" around sides of pan. Bake crust at 350°F. for about 20 minutes, until it becomes golden brown. Crust should be firm to the touch when pressed lightly. Remove from oven; transfer pans to a wire rack. Let cool 2 minutes before filling.

  3. While crusts bake, make the filling. Place egg, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, pecans and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Stir to fully combine. Pour filling onto warm crust, dividing evenly between pans. Put tarts back into oven. Bake for 30 minutes. When done, surface will be golden brown and when pan is lightly shaken, the filling will be set. Transfer pans to wire rack; let cool AT LEAST half an hour (or more) before removing pan rims to serve.

  4. While tarts cool, make caramel sauce. Place butter and sugar in a 1½ quart saucepan. Cook on HIGH heat, stirring often until sugar melts and turns amber in color. This takes about 2-3 minutes; keep a close watch so sugar doesn't burn. When sugar turns amber colored, remove pan from heat. Stir in whipping cream; stir until sauce becomes smooth. **When you add whipping cream it will "sputter" a bit (that's normal).

  5. To serve, drizzle caramel on top of tarts (or slices), allowing it to run down the sides. Dollop with whipped cream, and add a fresh sprig of mint for color! Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Don't have 4" tart pans? This recipe can also be made using one 6" wide cake or tart pan (with removable rim). General directions and bake time are the same, and will yield one tart that you can be sliced into 6 small portions.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 352 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 65mg22%
Sodium 92mg4%
Potassium 97mg3%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 35g39%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 431IU9%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4") decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 servings per tart). SO GOOD!

Italian Plum Shortbread Tart

Looking for a fabulous dessert? You’ll love this Italian Plum Shortbread Tart, with juicy plums, buttery shortbread crust, and streusel top!
Looking for a fabulous dessert? You'll love this Italian Plum Shortbread Tart, with juicy plums, buttery shortbread crust, and streusel top!

What To Do With A LOT of Italian Prune Plums?

That was the case last month when a friend of ours gave us a LOT of Italian plums from a friends tree. I gave a bunch of them to one of our sons, but there were still too many for my husband and I to eat!

What is a girl to do? I ended up creating this recipe to use most of them (recipe takes about 25 plums). After making the tart, I also made a jar of Italian plum jam with the remaining plums (yes… we STILL had more plums-go figure). 

My inspiration for this recipe is one of my favorite recipes for fruit-filled shortbread tarts. I received a recipe card for an apple shortbread tart many years ago from a dear friend.

Over the years I have modified it to make a boysenberry shortbread tart, and a peach shortbread tart. All those ripe plums inspired me to tweak the recipe once again to make an Italian Plum Shortbread Tart! I decided to use the same crust and topping, but come up with my own Italian plum filling.

Italian plums are dull black in color and oblong in shape.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

WOW! The results turned out amazing and delicious! Who knew that this humble looking plum could be the star in such a delicious fruit tart?

The really cool part is that while the insides of this raw “oblong-shaped” fruit are GOLD in color, after baking they turn a brilliant shade of RED! WAIT… WHAT???

The shortbread crumble serves as both the crust AND the topping for this dessert, which is made using a tart pan with a removeable bottom.

NOTE: No tart pan? You can make this dessert using a 9″ deep dish pie pan. The plums turn out juicy and incredibly delicious inside this yummy Italian Plum Shortbread Tart. YUM! Let me show you how to make it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Crust For The Tart

The shortbread crust can be made using a hand held pastry blender, two forks OR a food processor. Place all of the crust ingredients EXCEPT FOR EGG YOLKS in a large bowl (or processor).

Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the butter has been reduced to about the size of peas. Add the egg yolks, and mix only until just combined. IMPORTANT- **Measure out 1/4th of this mixture and set aside to sprinkle on top of the tart later.

Pat the remaining shortbread mixture very firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. I like to use the back of a large spoon to do this. Once packed firmly down on the bottom and into the sides, the shortbread crust is ready for the plum filling.

Cold butter is cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender.A back of a spoon is used to press down the crumb topping firmly to form crust.The tart crust is now formed and is ready for the fruit filling.

Prepare The Plum Tart Filling

Wash and dry the plums, and leave the skin ON. Slice the plums (from top to bottom) into ¼” slices, and remove the seed from the middle. You should get about 4 slices per plum.

See how the insides are a beautiful golden color BEFORE baking? Discard all the seeds, because we don’t want any of them in this dessert!

You will need a total of 1¼ pounds of sliced plums for this recipe. The weight is calculated AFTER plums have been sliced and the seed has been removed.

For me, that meant using about 25 medium-sized Italian plums. I weighed the total amount of sliced plums occasionally as I cut them up.

Holding one of the Italian plums before slicing.Italian plums are a golden color inside, once sliced and seed has been removed.

Time To Fill The Tart

In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the sliced plums, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until well-coated. Pour the plum filling into the uncooked shortbread crust, and distribute evenly to fill the crust.

Sliced Italian plums are coated with flour, brown sugar and cinnamon to make the fruit filling.Fruit filling has been added and the Italian Plum Shortbread Tart is ready to top with streusel.

Add Streusel Topping Then Bake!

Evenly sprinkle the top of the fruit with the remaining crumb topping you set aside earlier. Completely cover the the top of the tart. Once done, carefully place the tart on a middle rack in your preheated oven.

TIP: Place a sheet of aluminum foil under the pan, in case of any drips during baking.

Bake at 400°F. for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F.. Continue baking for about 25-30 minutes at the lower temperature, until the topping turns golden brown.

When the topping is nicely browned, remove the Italian plum shortbread tart from the oven, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Topped with streusel, the plum tart is ready to bake.After baking, the Italian Plum Shortbread Tart is golden brown on top, and bubbly around edges.

Removing The Tart From The Pan

After the tart has cooled to room temperature, remove the tart from the pan. To do this, place your hand firmly on the bottom metal disc, and gently press the metal disc upward to release it from the sides of the tart pan. Transfer the metal disc with the tart on it to a serving plate.

Can you see the miracle? Those originally golden colored plums have now turned a beautiful shade of red during baking! I think that is amazing!

A side view of the crust edges of the plum-filled shortbread tart.

Time For A Slice Of The Italian Plum Shortbread Tart

The tart will slice the best if it has had the chance to cool. Once ready, slice the Italian plum shortbread tart into slices, and transfer to serving plates. You can see in the photo below that the metal tart pan disc is still in place under the tart.

Serve this fruit tart slightly warm, with a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a mint leaf garnish, if desired. It tastes wonderfully DELICIOUS!

Once baked, Italian plums turn a beautiful red color, shown in the Italian plum shortbread tart.A slice of Italian plum shortbread tart, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream & mint sprig.

I really hope you will have the opportunity to make this Italian Plum Shortbread Tart for those you love. It’s a fantastic way to use those humble, Italian plums when they are in season.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots and lots of dessert recipes you might enjoy, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Italian Plum Shortbread Tart
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

Looking for a fabulous dessert? You'll love this Italian Plum Shortbread Tart, with juicy plums, buttery shortbread crust, and streusel top!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Italian Plum Shortbread Tart
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 394 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For The Crust/Topping:
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup COLD butter , cut in small chunks. (=1½ sticks)
  • 2 large egg yolks
For Plum Filling:
  • pounds Italian Prune Plums , approx. 25 Italian plums/sliced
  • ¼ cup brown sugar , packed
  • 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

  2. Place all crust ingredients EXCEPT FOR EGG YOLKS in a large bowl (or processor). Cut COLD butter into flour mixture (w/ 2 forks or pastry blender) until butter is reduced to the size of peas. Add egg yolks; mix only until just combined. IMPORTANT- Measure out 1/4th of this mixture and set aside to sprinkle on top of the tart later. Pat remaining shortbread mixture very firmly onto bottom and sides of the tart pan. Set aside.

  3. Wash/dry plums. Slice plums from top to bottom (½" thick, leaving skin ON), and remove seed. You should get about 4 slices per plum. In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced plums, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until well-coated. Pour plum filling into uncooked shortbread crust; distribute evenly to fill crust.

  4. Evenly sprinkle fruit with the remaining crumb topping you set aside earlier. Completely cover the fruit. Once done, carefully place tart on a middle rack in preheated oven. TIP: Place a sheet of aluminum foil under the pan, in case of any drips during baking.

  5. Bake at 400°F. for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F.. Continue baking for 25-30 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Remove tart from oven; transfer to wire rack. After tart has cooled to room temp., remove tart from pan (not necessary if using pie pan). To do this, place your hand firmly on the bottom metal disc,; press disc gently upward to release it from the sides of the tart pan.

  6. Cut tart into 8 slices, and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: I used about 25 Italian plums for this recipe. The total weight of 1¼ pounds was calculated after slicing and removing the pits.

Nutrition Facts
Italian Plum Shortbread Tart
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
Calories 394 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 92mg31%
Sodium 229mg10%
Potassium 166mg5%
Carbohydrates 53g18%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 838IU17%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 26mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Looking for a fabulous dessert? You'll love this Italian Plum Shortbread Tart, with juicy plums, buttery shortbread crust, and streusel top!

 

 

Dutch Crumb Peach Pie

Make a Dutch Crumb Peach Pie to enjoy the taste of summer! A delicious, classic peach pie, covered with crumbly, buttery streusel topping!Make a Dutch Crumb Peach Pie to enjoy the taste of summer! A delicious, classic peach pie, covered with crumbly, buttery streusel topping!

What’s a girl to do when she picks a BUNCH of fresh peaches in the summer? Well THIS girl likes to make delicious things with the “fruits of her labor”. I’ve canned them, and have used fresh peaches to make jam, cobblers, galettes, ice cream, turnovers, peach pies, smoothies, and crisps. It’s amazing how many delicious items you can make with this seasonal fruit.

Today I want to share with you a scrumptious recipe for Dutch Crumb Peach Pie. We love apple pies made this way, so I thought it would also be yummy using peach filling. I combined two different recipes from an OLD cookbook I received when I got married (43 years ago), and this delicious pie is the result.

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of the Page

Lots of fresh summer peaches to make delicious desserts and jam with!

Prepare The Peach Pie Filling

Making the filling for this Dutch Crumb Peach Pie is really quite easy! First, peel the peaches, and then carefully slice them in half, and remove the pit. Cut the peaches into slices, about ½” wide. Place the peach slices into a large mixing bowl.

Add granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and freshly squeezed lemon juice to the peach slices in the bowl. Stir gently, to fully combine these ingredients. When done, set the bowl aside until later. This is your pie filling.


Sliced peaches are combined with sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice to make the pie filling.

Make The Streusel Topping

Now it’s time to make the simple, buttery streusel topping. The streusel is what turns this pie from a plain peach pie into a Dutch crumb peach pie! Here’s how to make the crumbly pie topping.

Place flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut VERY COLD butter into chunks and add them to the bowl. Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut the butter into the topping ingredients. Once done, the butter should be reduced to about the size of peas. Set the streusel topping aside.

Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a bowl to make streusel topping for pie.Cold butter is cut into streusel ingredients until crumbly, using a pastry blender.Streusel topping is ready to add to the top of the Dutch Crumb Peach Pie before baking.

Ready To Assemble The Dutch Crumb Peach Pie

Okay… now get that pie crust prepared! You can use whatever deep dish 9″ pie crust is convenient for you. That would include a homemade pie crust (that’s what I use), or a store-bought frozen (but thawed) pie crust, or refrigerated pie crust dough.

Crimp the edges of your pie crust, then gently prick the bottom and sides of the dough with the tines (the tips) of a fork (as shown below). The pie dough is pricked so it doesn’t puff up with large air pockets while baking.

The pie crust has been prepared for the pie filling.

Pour the peach pie filling into the prepared pie crust, making sure it is spread evenly. Add the streusel topping, a little at a time until the entire surface of the peach filling is covered. I like to mound it up in the middle of the pie (like a dome). Use all the topping.

TIP: I usually cup my hand around the edge of the crust so the topping doesn’t go all over the place as I add it! That helps to hold it onto the surface of the pie.

Peach filling is added to pie crust, then topped with streusel topping, to cover.The streusel crumb topping is mounded from the crust into the middle of the pie.

Bake The Dutch Crumb Peach Pie

Bake the Dutch Crumb Peach Pie on the middle rack of a preheated 425°F. oven. I typically place a sheet of aluminum foil underneath the pie, in case the filling bubbles over. This ensures you won’t have a messy oven when done!

Bake the Dutch Crumb Peach Pie for approximately 40 minutes, or a few minutes more, depending on your oven. The pie is done when the streusel topping and crust are golden brown, and the filling is bubbly around the edges. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for about 10-15 minutes before slicing. When ready to serve, slice the pie into 8 wedges, serve and enjoy!

This pie is wonderful served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but is also yummy served at room temperature! In the 2nd photo below you can see my regular peach pie, and a Dutch Crumb Peach pie, side by side. YUMMO!

A Dutch Crumb Peach Pie, cooling on a wire rack after baking.Classic peach pie on the left, and Dutch Crumb Peach Pie on the right.

I hope you have the chance to make this delicious pie, and I believe you will NOT be disappointed! Thank you for stopping by today, and I truly hope you will come back again soon, for more family friendly recipes. Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More PIE Recipes?

You can find AL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderfully delicious pie recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: Pie Filling: The New Pillsbury Family Cookbook, page 149, published 1973 by The Pillsbury Co. Streusel Topping: From the same cookbook, on page 147

0 from 0 votes
Dutch Crumb Peach Pie
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

Make a Dutch Crumb Peach Pie to enjoy the taste of summer! A delicious, classic peach pie, covered with crumbly, buttery streusel topping!

Category: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dutch crumb peach pie
Servings: 8 slices
Calories Per Serving: 365 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 9" deep dish pie crust
For Peach Pie Filling:
  • 5 cups sliced fresh peaches (peeled)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For Streusel Topping:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans may substitute walnuts
  • ½ cup COLD butter equals 1 stick of butter (8 Tablespoons)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. MAKE PIE FILLING: Peel peaches. Slice in half, completely removing the pit. Cut peaches into slices, about ½" wide. Place sliced peaches in large mixing bowl. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir gently, to fully combine. Set bowl aside.

  3. MAKE STREUSEL TOPPING: Place flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans in a medium-sized bowl. Cut VERY COLD butter into chunks and add to bowl. Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut in butter. Once done, butter should be reduced to the size of peas. Set streusel topping aside.

  4. PREPARE PIE CRUST: Crimp edges of a deep dish 9" pie crust; gently prick bottom and sides of dough with the tines (tips) of a fork, so dough doesn't puff up with air pockets while baking.

  5. MAKE PIE: Pour peach pie filling evenly into prepared pie crust,. Add streusel to the top, a little at a time, until all peach filling is covered. Mound streusel up in the middle (like a dome). TIP: Cup your hand around edge of crust so topping doesn't spill all over while adding!

  6. TIP:** Bake pie on middle rack in oven. Put a sheet of aluminum foil underneath the pie, in case filling bubbles over, so you won't have a messy oven when done! Bake pie for approx. 40 minutes, or more, depending on your oven. It's done when streusel topping and crust are golden brown, and filling is bubbly around the edges.

  7. Transfer pie from oven to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing. When ready to serve, slice the pie into 8 wedges, serve each piece with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: If using frozen pie crust, be sure to thaw it before using.

Nutrition Facts
Dutch Crumb Peach Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
Calories 365 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 106mg5%
Potassium 244mg7%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 40g44%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 671IU13%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 29mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a Dutch Crumb Peach Pie to enjoy the taste of summer! A delicious, classic peach pie, covered with crumbly, buttery streusel topping!

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Cream Cheese Tart

This Lemon Cream Cheese Tart is a bit tangy, a bit sweet, and tastes fantastic! A creamy lemon filling is baked on a shortbread-style crust.
This Lemon Cream Cheese Tart is a bit tangy, a bit sweet, and tastes fantastic! A creamy lemon filling is baked on a shortbread-style crust.

Recently I made a Lemon Cream Cheese Tart, which my husband and I enjoyed on a snow and ice-covered Valentines Day. We each enjoyed a piece, and then gave the remaining slices to several neighbors as a Valentines treat (since we were snowbound, AND so we wouldn’t gobble up the entire thing ourselves!). It is so incredibly GOOD!

At 7pm on Valentines night, our power went out due to snow and ice, so we were glad we had enjoyed our homemade dinner and dessert earlier! Our power ended up being out Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon, but our generator helped keep the food in our fridge cold (hooray). Candles and flashlights also quickly became our best friends!

All that said… this lemon cream cheese tart tastes wonderful! The foundation for it is a shortbread-style crust, and the yummy lemon and cream cheese filling is amazing! Put them together, and top with sweetened whipped cream… it’s dessert perfection!

I received a printed recipe card for this dessert at a women’s event over 15 years ago (which indicated the original recipe was from Bon Appetit magazine). This dessert is sooo delicious, and we love it! It’s also fairly simple and straightforward to make. Here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Crust

The first thing you will do is to preheat your oven to 425°F. The next thing to do is make the crust! The easiest way to make it is with a food processor, but you can also use a hand-held pastry blender or two forks for this step, if desired.

Place flour and powdered sugar in a food processor, and add chunks of really cold butter. Pulse until the butter becomes about the size of peas and mixture forms small clumps. NOTE: If using pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in the butter into the flour mixture in a bowl until it reaches the same consistency.

Pour the crumbly crust mixture into a 9″ tart pan (that has a removable bottom).

Butter, flour and powdered sugar are processed until tiny crumbs form for crust.Crumbly crust mixture is poured into a tart pan (with a removable bottom).

Time To Bake The Crust

FIRMLY press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Continue to press until you have a firm crust and sides. Once the crust is pretty solid, put the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes (this helps really chill the butter).

Remove the pan from the freezer. Place it on the middle rack in a preheated 425°F. oven. Bake the tart crust for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. When done, remove the crust from the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350° F. Place the pan on a wire rack, and allow it to cool completely before adding the lemon filling.

Crust mixture is firmly pressed into the tart pan to form a solid base and sides.After baking, the crust for the lemon cream cheese tart is golden brown.

Prepare The Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

You can make the lemon cream cheese filling while the tart crust bakes OR while the tart crust is cooling after baking. Your choice. You can beat the filling with an electric mixer OR you can place the ingredients in a food processor to thoroughly mix.

I like to use a food processor, because I feel like it really gets the filling smooth and mixed well. I have tried it with electric mixers, but sometimes, if the cream cheese isn’t soft enough, the cream cheese doesn’t “break down” as completely. You will just have to continue beating until it becomes smooth.

Beat (or process) softened cream cheese until very smooth. Add granulated sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and finely grated lemon zest (peel). Continue to process until smooth and well-blended.

A lemon and cream cheese filling is mixed together for the tart.

Bake The Lemon Cream Cheese Tart

Pour the lemon cream cheese mixture over the top of the COOLED tart crust. It will come almost up to the top of the pan. Carefully place the lemon cream cheese tart on the middle rack in the oven. Bake the lemon cream cheese tart 350°F. for 30 minutes.

When done, transfer the tart pan to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Once at room temperature, cover the tart with plastic wrap. Place tart pan in the refrigerator to chill at LEAST one hour, but more if you have time. This tart can be prepared, covered and refrigerated up to one day ahead.

The tart crust is covered with the lemon cream cheese filling and then baked.

Once the lemon cream cheese tart has been completely chilled, carefully remove the tart from the pan, by carefully pushing up from the bottom. TIP: If it does not release easily, run a butter knife carefully around the sides of the pan.

When ready to serve, the chilled lemon cream cheese tart is removed from the pan.

Garnish And Serve The Lemon Cream Cheese Tart

The lemon cream cheese tart is now ready to serve, as is, OR you can “fancy it up” a bit with whipped cream. I make stabilized whipped cream to decorate this dessert, which means the cream will hold it’s shape for several days, so I can decorate the entire tart. It’s also fun to garnish the tart with lemon slices and/or fresh mint leaves, for extra color!

You also slice pieces, and then garnish each slice with aerosol whipped cream or you can make your own whipped cream (not stabilized) to decorate each slice. I have included instructions for homemade in the Notes section of the printable recipe at the bottom of this post.

Lemon Cream Cheese Tart, garnished with whipped cream, lemon slice and mint leaf.A slice of lemon cream cheese tart, served on a white plate.

I truly hope you will have the opportunity to make this delicious lemon tart! The crust is sturdy, very easy to cut, and pairs well with the sweetness and tartness of the lemon topping in this dessert.

Thank you for stopping by, and I trust you will come back soon for more yummy recipes. Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More Delicious TART Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several delicious fruit tart recipes, including:

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Original recipe source: Bon Appetit Magazine, (October 1995 edition).

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Lemon Cream Cheese Tart
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Refrigeration Time (minimum-inactive)
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs
 

This Lemon Cream Cheese Tart is a bit tangy, a bit sweet, and tastes fantastic! A creamy lemon filling is baked on a shortbread-style crust.

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon cream cheese tart
Servings: 8 (or 10 smaller slices)
Calories Per Serving: 282 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Crust:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 8 Tablespoons COLD butter =1 stick
  • cup powdered sugar confectioner's sugar
For Filling:
  • 5 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 7 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
  • 2 large eggs
Optional: whipping cream, lemon slice, mint leaves for topping (see NOTE below)
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 425° F.

    2. MAKE CRUST: Place flour and powdered sugar in food processor; add cold butter chunks. Pulse until butter becomes the size of peas and mixture forms small clumps. (If using pastry blender or forks in a bowl for this step, cut in butter until it reaches the same consistency). Place crust mixture in a 9" tart pan (with removable bottom).

    3. FIRMLY press crust mixture onto bottom and up the sides of tart pan. Continue to press until you have a solid crust and sides. Put pan in the freezer for 15 minutes (to chill butter). Remove pan from freezer. Place on middle rack in a preheated oven. Bake crust for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. When done, remove pan from oven- REDUCE OVEN TEMP TO 350° F. Place pan on a wire rack; let crust cool completely before adding lemon filling.

    4. MAKE LEMON FILLING: Using a food processor or electric mixer, process or beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add granulated sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and lemon zest. Continue to process until smooth and well-blended.

    5. Pour the lemon filling into the COOLED tart crust (it will come almost to top of the pan). Carefully place tart on middle rack in oven. Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes. When done, transfer tart pan to a wire rack; allow tart to cool to room temp. Once at room temp., cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at LEAST one hour, (but more if you have the time). Tart can be prepared, covered and refrigerated up to one day ahead.

    6. Once completely chilled, carefully remove the tart from the pan, by carefully pushing up from the bottom. TIP: If it does not release easily, run a butter knife carefully around the sides of the pan to loosen the crust.

    7. To serve: Cut tart into slices. Garnish each slice (or top of the tart) with a dollop (or dollops) of whipped cream, a lemon slice, and a fresh mint leaf, if desired. Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator. Enjoy!

    Recipe Notes

    NOTE: It is recommended you top each slice (at serving) with whipped cream if you are NOT using a stabilized whipped cream (to prevent whipped cream from losing shape). Can also use aerosol whipped cream, OR can beat 1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream and 2 teaspoons powdered sugar in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form, then pipe decoratively around the top of the tart or individual slices before serving.

    Nutrition Facts
    Lemon Cream Cheese Tart
    Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
    Calories 282 Calories from Fat 135
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 15g23%
    Saturated Fat 9g56%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 86mg29%
    Sodium 202mg9%
    Potassium 97mg3%
    Carbohydrates 32g11%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 19g21%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 516IU10%
    Vitamin C 6mg7%
    Calcium 41mg4%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!This Lemon Cream Cheese Tart is a bit tangy, a bit sweet, and tastes fantastic! A creamy lemon filling is baked on a shortbread-style crust.