Almond Tarts

These almond tarts taste just like Dutch Banket, but are half the work! Plus if you decorate with maraschino cherries they are great for Christmas.

Crust:

2 cups flour

2 sticks butter

6 oz. cream cheese

Divide into 48 balls and press into tart pans. I use a little flour on the tart press to keep it from getting too sticky.

Filling:

Mix in food processor:

 2 cups of almond paste

1 cup sugar

1 ½ T. flour

¼ tsp. salt

In separate bowl, beat 3 eggs

Add almond mixture to eggs and blend adding 1 tsp. each of almond extract and vanilla extract.

Put filling into tarts, but don’t overfill. You may have a little left.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until browned on top.

Glaze or frost when cool. I use the leftover 2 oz. of cream cheese, 2 cups of powdered sugar, a few drops of almond extract, and add milk to get to the right consistency. Top each with half of a maraschino cherry.  

Roller-Skating Graduation

I finally graduated from skating in my kitchen! After a few sorry attempts on my driveway, I decided I was ready to leave home and skate on an empty parking lot by the lake near our house. It proved to be a windy day—whitecaps on the waves of the lake. The wind did not help with balance, but I was determined to do this. After skating once around, I thought I had enough, but then I decided I should skate for at least as long as it took me to don all the gear—elbow, knee and wrist braces and a helmet. So I went another round. And then several more. Here is what I learned today:

1. If you are skating with the wind at your back, all you have to do is stand there. I think it still counts as exercise. Anyway, I counted it.

2. If you hit a pebble, your skate stops immediately, but you do not.

3. Park the car in a place where you can crash into it when you need to stop.

Not bad for the first time out. I managed to skate for about 40 minutes without falling. People have asked me WHY I am doing this. I am doing this because my doctor irritated me. She said that people MY AGE have to do more weight-bearing exercises. Biking, she said, didn’t count. Buying inline skates was my way of being partly compliant and partly rebellious. It is weight-bearing and age-defying. I have to confess though, I have developed a profound respect for those kids who work for Sonic and deliver your food on skates. One pebble on the sidewalk could make your meal food for ants.