strawberry rhubarb basil tarts

Deb at Smitten Kitchen is superstitious about pie making. I can relate. Mine have never come out perfect. I am also a bit disorganized about keep my recipes straight. I have forgotten which worked better than others. This time around I tried a vegan almond tart crust. It includes maple syrup, and after that wonderful salad I made with maple syrup dressing I was eager to repeat the combo.

The crust is very nice. I especially liked how I was able to handle it a lot without making it tough. Once cooked it stayed crumbly even though I had mashed it around quite a bit while preparing the shells, pressing it into my muffin tins. I think it might have been a little better with some sugar grains sprinkled over the tops, but it was just fine.

Strawberry Rhubarb Basil Tarts
Makes 12 tarts

2 cups rhubarb, thinly sliced
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 basil leaves, sliced (I didn't taste the basil much so I would use more like 5-6 leaves next time)

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Make tart crust as recipe indicates. Press into muffin tins, leaving a bit leftover for the top crust. Leave in fridge until ready to fill.

2. Combine filling ingredients in a large bowl. Fill tart shells. Use your favorite small cookie cutter to make the top crust with leftover dough. Place on top of filling.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until crust is browned but not burned. I started with 20 minutes and after checking it put it back in for 10 minutes more.

{tart crust recipe}