The cutest mini pizza tarts baked in a delicious buttermilk pie crust tart shell.
Last weekend my parents were in LA for a concert, so I asked them to drop by Crate and Barrel to pick me up a pastry slab while they were there. I may have underestimated the terribleness of LA parking, because my poor wonderful, lovely parents, and my sister, with whom they were staying, ended up having to carry the solid marble board through the streets of LA back to where they’d left their car.
So I just want to say publicly to them, thank you for that. Um, my bad.
Totally worth it though (she says, not having carted the piece of rock through a busy city), because this slab is great and is the entire reason today’s recipe exists. Obviously, with the new pastry slab, I had to break it in and make a pastry, but it’s a little (A LOT) hot for pie here in SoCal, so I made Pizza Tarts!!
These are my new favorite things. For the tart shell, I went back to my old friend, My Favorite Buttermilk Pie Crust . Turns out that not only is it an amazing (and amazingly easy to make) pie dough, it also makes for a killer tart base.
Then I filled that tart base with all the makings for pizza, homemade pizza sauce (it doesn’t have to be homemade, but that sauce is amazing), mozzarella, pepperoni, and a bit of Parmesan. You’re never really going to go wrong with those ingredients, but put them in a flaky buttermilk shell and it’s basically magic.
When they came out of the oven with the cheese all gooey and bubbling, it was all I could do not to take a bite before taking pictures!
As for how to serve them, they would make a fun and unique dinner for two (serve with a side salad), or they would be the cutest appetizers. Quartered, they are two-to-three-bite treats and would look like perfect mini slices of pizza!
If you don’t already own a set, these are the mini tart pans * I own. I’ve been making a lot of tarts lately and the pans are fantastic. But you could also make these pizza tarts in a cupcake pan, with a slightly shorter cooking time.
And one more note, you don’t have to blind bake the shells–I didn’t for the ones I photographed, but I’ve included instructions in the recipe for it, and think I will in the future for extra crispy bottoms and sides. It’s up to you!
More Pizza Recipes
- Naan Pizzas
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Hawaiian Naan Pizzas
- Homemade Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ 4 mini tart pans
- ▢ 1/2 batch My Favorite Buttermilk Pie Crust
- ▢ 4 tablespoons pizza sauce homemade or store-bought
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 2 oz) shredded mozzarella
- ▢ 12 slices good-quality pepperoni
- ▢ 2 tablespoons Shredded Parmesan cheese
- ▢ 4 small basil leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
Prepare Tart Crust
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Divide dough into 4 even pieces. If it’s warm in your kitchen, place all but one of the pieces in the refrigerator while you make your first tart. On a well-floured surface, roll dough out thinly enough that your tart pan can sit on top of it and have at least 1-inch of space all the way around the sides.
- If your tart pan has a removable bottom, place dough over the bottom disk and fold dough up so that none of it hangs over the sides. Drop tart bottom and dough back into the rest of the pan and unfold the dough. (If your tart bottom is not removable, just drape the dough over the entire pan.
- Press the dough gently into the sides of the pan and then run your rolling pin lightly over the rim to pinch off the excess dough.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Blind Bake (optional for a crispier bottom and sides)
- Place tart pans on a baking sheet and cut four pieces of parchment paper so they cover the tops of the tarts. Fill tarts with pie weights, dry beans, or uncooked rice and bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and paper and place back in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the bottom of the tart looks dry and the edges are very slightly golden. Remove from the oven and if the bottom has puffed up at all, gently pat it down.
Assemble
- Spread each tart with 1 tablespoon pizza sauce, 2 tablespoons mozzarella, 3 slices pepperoni, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Place tart pans on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden.
- Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving or cutting. Sprinkle with fresh basil if desired.
A simple naturally sweet green smoothie made with banana and apple slices and packed full of healthy greens. A perfect freezer-friendly grab-and-go breakfast for busy mornings.
So this month’s blog theme is “My Favorite Recipes,” and I bet you thought it was going to be all carbs, sweets, and cream-laden sweet carbs. Okay, it almost was (because carbs, cream, and sweets are the best things in the world), but unfortunately, I don’t actually eat like that every day in real life. So today I’m posting one of my everyday favorites.
This naturally sweet green smoothie is my favorite go-to breakfast because it’s good for you and makes you feel good about yourself. There’s nothing like starting your day knowing that if you are already one green smoothie (and two servings of veggies) up on the rest of the world.
I will never lie to you and tell you that a green smoothie tastes like anything other than a green smoothie, but as far as breakfasts made mostly out of leafy green things, this one’s really good.
It’s made with spinach and romaine, which are milder tasting greens than things like kale and dandelion greens, and the generous squeeze of lemon in the mix really helps those flavors blend with the fruity taste of the apple and banana in there.
The high ratio of greens to fruit means that you get the best of both worlds, a light sweetness without too much sugar and a massive boost of healthy leafy green veggies.
These smoothies freeze really well and are a great breakfast for busy mornings. I usually make a big batch and keep most of them in the freezer. Throughout the week, when I drink my morning smoothie, I pull the next one out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. 24 hours later, I have a perfect healthy breakfast defrosted and waiting for me.
More Favorite Recipes
- BLT Salad
- Asian Chicken Salad
- Easy Beef Teriyaki
- Crispy Lemon Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 large sweet apple cored and chopped
- ▢ 1 head romaine lettuce roughly chopped
- ▢ 2 cups (packed) spinach
- ▢ 2 cups cold water
- ▢ 1 large ripe banana frozen
- ▢ Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Combine apple, romaine, and water in your blender and blend on high until smooth. Add spinach and repeat.
- Add banana and lemon juice and continue to blend until mixture is very smooth.
- Divide smoothie between 3 16-ounce mason jars and enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional Information
Strawberry shortcake sundaes for two, crumbly buttermilk shortcake with vanilla ice cream and an easy and delicious homemade strawberry ice cream topping. Add some whipped cream, grab a spoon, and dive right in.
Oh hey, it’s a recipe post! It’s been a little while since we’ve had one of these. I’ve been MIA the last couple of weeks finishing up a big life-consuming project (more on that very soon), but I am now officially done and happy to be back, catching up with you lovely readers and making yummy food.
I’ve missed you guys! How are you? What going on in your life? Is it sweltering where you are? Are you so ready for it to not be summer any longer?
I’m great. My indoor cat ate an inexplicably indoor lizard last week (it was traumatizing). It’s very hot here. And I wish fall were now.
But if it must be summer, we may as well do what we can to enjoy it, so today I’m sharing my Strawberry Shortcake Sundaes for Two!
I’ve been making these strawberry shortcake sundaes for years, and usually I make them for a crowd, but I’ve really been enjoying posting small-batch desserts lately, so I shrunk this recipe down to serve two. And if you want, you can easily double or triple the recipe (see the recipe notes for doubling instructions).
I’m a firm believer that the best sundaes are more than just ice cream and toppings. They need to be served over something. Earlier this summer, I posted my Caramel Apple Pie Sundaes which are served in a pie crust cup. These are served over cubed shortcake and they are amaaaaaazing.
Since this is a recipe for two, we make just one cute and tasty buttermilk shortcake. It’s slightly sweet, and once cut up, serves as a perfect base for the rest of our sundae. Next up is a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Buy your favorite or make your own . It’s up to you. Then top it off with a fabulous (and easy) strawberry ice cream topping and a big dollop of whipped cream.
It makes for a fun, easy, and rather beautiful (if I do say so myself) strawberry shortcake sundae that will help you beat the heat in these dying days of summer.
More Strawberry Desserts
- The Best Strawberry Milkshake
- Strawberry Lemon Cookies
- Strawberry Milk for One or Two
- Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Fine mesh strainer
Strawberry Ice Cream Topping
- ▢ 1 cup ( 6 oz) chopped strawberries divided
- ▢ 1/4 cup water
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25 g) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch whisked with 1 1/2 teaspoon water
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Shortcakes
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 60 g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 12 g) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 1 oz) cold, unsalted butter diced
- ▢ 3 tablespoons buttermilk
Egg Wash
- ▢ 1 egg
- ▢ 1 tablespoon milk
Additional Toppings
- ▢ Vanilla ice cream
- ▢ Whipped cream
Instructions
Strawberry Topping
- In a 1-quart pot, combine 2/3 cup ( 4 oz) of the strawberries and water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn heat down until the strawberries stay at a low simmer, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until strawberries are quite limp and begin to turn pale. In the last minute or two, squash the strawberries with a fork to get the last of the juice out of them.
- Remove from heat and use a fine-mesh strainer to drain the juice into a small bowl. Discard the limp strawberries and wipe out your saucepan. Return juice to the pan along with the sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch and water mixture. Simmer for 2 to 4 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes.
Shortcakes
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a biscuit cutter (or your fingers) to cut (or rub) in flour until no chunks larger than a pea remain.
- Add buttermilk and stir until a thick, sticky dough forms. Shape into a ball and place on your prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk and use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of egg wash over the entire surface.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool on the baking sheet. Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut the shortcake into 1-inch cubes (cubes will be rough and crumbly).
Assemble
- Stir the remaining strawberries into the cooled glaze.
- Evenly divide the shortcake cubes into two bowls. Top shortcake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, half of the strawberry topping, and whipped cream if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Pie Crust Pizza Tarts
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- 4 mini tart pans
- 1/2 batch My Favorite Buttermilk Pie Crust
- 4 tablespoons pizza sauce homemade or store-bought
- 1/2 cup ( 2 oz) shredded mozzarella
- 12 slices good-quality pepperoni
- 2 tablespoons Shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 small basil leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
Prepare Tart Crust
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Divide dough into 4 even pieces. If it’s warm in your kitchen, place all but one of the pieces in the refrigerator while you make your first tart. On a well-floured surface, roll dough out thinly enough that your tart pan can sit on top of it and have at least 1-inch of space all the way around the sides.
- If your tart pan has a removable bottom, place dough over the bottom disk and fold dough up so that none of it hangs over the sides. Drop tart bottom and dough back into the rest of the pan and unfold the dough. (If your tart bottom is not removable, just drape the dough over the entire pan.
- Press the dough gently into the sides of the pan and then run your rolling pin lightly over the rim to pinch off the excess dough.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Blind Bake (optional for a crispier bottom and sides)
- Place tart pans on a baking sheet and cut four pieces of parchment paper so they cover the tops of the tarts. Fill tarts with pie weights, dry beans, or uncooked rice and bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and paper and place back in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the bottom of the tart looks dry and the edges are very slightly golden. Remove from the oven and if the bottom has puffed up at all, gently pat it down.
Assemble
- Spread each tart with 1 tablespoon pizza sauce, 2 tablespoons mozzarella, 3 slices pepperoni, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Place tart pans on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden.
- Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving or cutting. Sprinkle with fresh basil if desired.
