Flag Tarts

I have made these for years for any holiday that celebrates our country. They are super easy. You will need 3 3/4-by-13 1/4-inch, fluted, rectangular tart pans, which are available in many shops that specialize in culinary tools. This recipe also calls for golden raspberries, but you can use regular ones since you ultimately will be covering that tart with powdered sugar.

Pate Sucree (make this recipe twice and divide the dough into thirds)

2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup ice water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
Salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Lightly beat yolks and water in a small bowl until combined. Pulse flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, add yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream. Process until mixture just begins to hold together.

Divide the doubled recipe into three balls and wrap each remianing ones plastic wrap.

Place one of the prepared pate sucree balls between two silpats, roll out a disc of 1/4 - 1/8inch thick to fit each of the tart pans. Carefully transfer dough to each tart pan, tuck dough into the edges, gently pressing along sides, and allow excess dough to overhang the edges. Trim the dough by running your rolling pin over the dough against the edges. Gently shape the edges by pressing the length of your forefinger against each flute along the sides. Prick all over the bottom with the tines of a fork. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill for 1 hour. Repeat with 2 more discs of dough.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chilled tart shells from refrigerator, and line each with a piece of parchment paper that overhangs the edges by at least 2 inches. Fill parchment with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until just starting to color, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights from tart shells, and return tart shells to oven. Continue baking until tart bottom is golden, about 20 minutes more. Transfer tart shells to a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely. Carefully remove tart shells from pan.

Prepare creme fraiche filling.

2 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each), room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces creme fraiche
1 cup confectioner's sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and vanilla until soft. In a separate bowl, whisk creme fraiche with a balloon whisk until it holds soft peaks

Fold in fraiche while gradually sifting the confectioners' sugar over the top; fold just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator until ready to use, up to 2 hours.

Using an offset spatula, spread 1/3 of the creme fraiche filling into the bottom of each tart shell. To glaze blueberries, toss in a small bowl with 1/2 cup warm strained blueberry jam. Arrange blueberries in one of the shells. Arrange raspberries in second shell and brush carefully with 1/2 cup warm raspberry jam. Arrange golden raspberries in the third shell, toss in a small bowl with 1/2 cup warm apricot jam - generously dust golden raspberries with confectioners' sugar. Chill for at least one hour. Arrange tarts on a serving platter. Serve and enjoy!