Lemon Blueberry Tarts (in Mason Jar Lids)

Creamy, no-bake lemon cheesecake filling layered over a graham cracker crust and topped with fresh blueberries.  These delectable (and easy!) tarts are made single-serving-sized in mason jar lids!

This month I’m teaming up with a group of bloggers including Amy from Accidental Happy Baker, Michelle from Giraffes Can Bake, Shadi from Unicorns in the Kitchen,and Wajeeha from I Knead to Eat, to bring you a collection of spring-y, fresh & fruity recipes for our monthly “Yum of the Month” group.  Every month we will be partnering to each bring you a new dessert in a new theme.  My contribution this month is these mini Lemon Blueberry Tarts, and if you scroll down just past the recipe at the bottom of this post, you can see each of their contributions, too!!

Almost all of our neighbors spend an inane amount of time carefully tending to their lawns.  They spend hours manicuring them, mowing them (and sweeping them?! Is that normal?) and paying green and white vans to show up and treat every blade with chemical cocktails, leaving behind bright yellow flags on the perimeters of their property warning children and dogs to KEEP OFF.

The results are beautiful, clean, lushly carpeted lawns in a single, tidy shade of green.

Meanwhile, our yard, while well-enough maintained with weekly trimmings and weed-whackings (thanks entirely to Zach), is much less a lush carpet and much more an ill-patterned patchwork quilt.  Our lawn is a hodgepodge held together with grass, but primarily punctuated with smattering seams of clover and clover flowers, pronounced patches of dandelions, both with sunny yellow faces and puffy white beards, and a motif of buttercups and pretty little purple flowers.

And while Zach and I may joke about what an embarrassment our yard is amidst these perfectly kept lawns, I honestly love our imperfectly perfect, chemical-free lawn with all of its colors and clovers (and especially the dandelions — think of the bees!).  It’s pretty and simple and (possibly my favorite) low maintenance.

Coincidentally, that’s also how I like my desserts.

Likewise, these lemon blueberry tarts are pretty, simple, easy and sweet.  You don’t need a fancy tart pan (though I think it may just be me who thinks that tart pans are something extravagant and fancy), you just need a couple of clean mason jar lids and a few basic ingredients.  

The graham cracker crust is a mere 3 ingredients, pressed into the lids and baked briefly.  The filling is so, so easy — I had originally been working on an intricate, multi-step lemon pastry cream, but (about 5 batches later) by the time I had perfected it, I decided I would much rather have something lighter, and definitely easier.  The lemon filling is made with cream cheese and has an airy, fresh-lemon cheesecake flavor.  If you don’t feel like making your own lemon curd you can buy a jar from just about any store.

Topped with blueberries, the combination of crunchy, creamy, and sweet is refreshing, spring-y, perfection.

If you’d like, you can also brush the berries with melted apple jelly (or toss them in the melted jelly before piling them on top of your tarts), it gives them a beautiful sheer shellac that makes them look almost unreal.

Enjoy!

5 from 3 votes

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Lemon Blueberry Tarts (in Mason Jar Lids)

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 16 tarts

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup butter melted

Filling

• 16 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup lemon curd homemade or store-bought
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 16 oz blueberries washed and dried, for topping
• 1 Tbsp apple jelly optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, use a fork to combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
3. Add melted butter and stir until well combined.
4. Take your mason jar lids and turn the flat piece of the mason jar upside down so that the crust will be in touch with metal, (and the rubber surface will be facing outwards, that way your food is not in contact with the rubber).
5. Use a spoon to press graham cracker crumbs into lids, covering the bottom and sides.
6. Transfer to a cookie sheet, and then bake on 350F for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

Filling

1. In KitchenAid or with hand-mixer, beat the cream cheese until creamy.
2. With mixer on low-speed, gradually add powdered sugar until it is completely combined.
3. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon curd. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add heavy cream until it has all been added.
5. Increase speed to high and beat 1-2 minutes, until mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, and beat briefly (about 10 seconds).
6. Pipe (I scrape the filling into a ziploc bag, snip off one of the corners, and squeeze the filling into each tart) or pour the filling into each tart, filling just below the rim of the lid.
7. Top with blueberries.

8. If using apple jelly -- place in small microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave until it is liquid (about 10-20 seconds). Gently and haphazardly brush on top of blueberries with a pastry brush for sheen.

9. Serve & enjoy!
10. Keep uneaten tarts refrigerated in an airtight container.

Check out these fresh fruit recipes from “Yum of the Month” Contributors

Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry Nutella Tart

Strawberry Cheesecake Upside Down Bundt Cake

Baked French Toast with Berry Compote