Mixed Berry Tartlets Lightened up with Tillamook Light Fat Free Lemon Squeeze Yogurt

I received a generous sampling of light yogurts to review, a new product from Tillamook, the same people who make the cheddar cheese that I've enjoyed over the years.  I was thrilled to try their light yogurt flavors as I eat yogurt sprinkled with granola and berries almost everyday for breakfast.  I loved all the berry flavors of Tillamook light yogurts that I sampled and the count of 110 calories in each 6 ounce yogurt.  I had an idea to create light mixed berry tartlets using a basic recipe for light pastry cream further lightened by mixing in the light yogurt.  I tried both the Light Lemon Squeeze and the Light Oregon Strawberry flavors in my recipe.  The lemon was my favorite and the perfect compliment to the pastry cream with mixed berries on top of each tartlet.  I added an equal amount of the Light Lemon Squeeze yogurt to the pastry cream, cutting even more calories and fat from my original light pastry cream recipe without sacrificing one scrumptious bit of flavor.  Mixed berry tartlets are fun to make and can be enjoyed as a lower in fat, reduced calorie dessert.  I received a thumbs up from my loyal taste tester husband who describes these tartlets as "light, fruity and airy".  As for me I like to play with food in my kitchen and am a huge fan of pastry, yogurt and berries.  The edible flowers and mint leaves are from my garden.

Ingredients and Directions for Mixed Berry Tartlets
Makes 4- 4" tartlets

Pastry Dough

1 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cold water


Lightened Up Pastry Cream

1 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2- 6 ounce containers Tillamook Light Lemon Squeeze Fat Free Yogurt (there will be yogurt leftover to perform your own taste test)

Mixed Berries

4 half pints refrigerated mixed berries; raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries (plenty left over to spoon over your yogurt for breakfast)
3 tablespoons raspberry fruit spread, sieved to glaze the berries
Edible flowers and mint leaves for garnish

Make the pastry dough several hours or a day ahead of time to allow the dough to chill before rolling out the tartlet circles.  Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.  Add the butter bits and pulse a dozen times to cut in the butter.  Mix the egg and the water in a cup and pour into the flour/butter mixture.  Pulse several times until the mixture clumps together and forms a ball on the side of the work bowl.  Remove the dough, flatten into a circle and wrap in plastic, the dough will be soft.  Chill for several hours or a few days.  When ready to bake off tartlet shells, remove dough from the fridge, unwrap it and gently roll out with floured pin and work surface, turning the dough as you roll.  Roll dough out to 12" circle and cut out 4 tartlet pan size circles using the pans as a guide.
Place the dough circles in the target pans and gently press into pans, trimming any excess dough at the top.  Place the tartlet crusts in the fridge and chill until baking time.

Make the lightened up pastry cream and chill completely before mixing in the Light Lemon Squeeze Yogurt to fill the baked cooled tartlet crusts.  Combine the low fat milk and half the sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a slow boil over medium high heat.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the rest of the sugar and the flour, whisk to blend.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.  Using a ladle, remove about a third of the boiling milk/sugar mixture and whisk it into the  sugar/flour/egg mixture.  Pour the remaining egg mixture into the  boiling milk mixture, whisking continuously as the pastry cream thickens.  Cook and whisk for about 30 seconds until the mixture is thick, you may need to use a wooden spatula to stir pastry cream from sides of pan a few times during this process.  Remove from the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Place the pastry cream in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, chill.  When chilled measure out the pastry cream and add the same amount of yogurt, whisking to combine.  Reserve in refrigerator until time to assemble the tartlets.

Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the tartlet crusts while the pastry cream chills.  Remove the tartlet crusts from the refrigerator and prick all over with a fork.  Bake the crusts for about 15 minutes, do not over bake as they will become tough.  The crusts don't take on much color but they are done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few light crumbs.  Cool the tartlet crusts on a rack.

Assemble the tartlets.  Remove the tartlet rings and bottoms from each tartlet.  Place on a dessert size plate.  Divide up the lightened up pastry cream and spread over each tartlet crust.  Fun part!  Arrange the assorted berries in patterns over each tartlet and garnish with mint and/or edible flowers.  Before serving brush a light coating of sieved fruit spread over berries.  Keep cool if waiting several hours before serving.

Enjoy any leftover lightened up pastry cream with berries served on top.  I enjoyed reviewing and creating a recipe for Tillamook Light Fat Free Yogurt, I didn't receive any compensation to create this recipe and all opinions are strictly my own.