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It is a brand new year, and with that brings new goals and lifestyle overhauls. I have never been one to make resolutions, but I do plan on cleaning up my eating habits after an especially indulgent holiday season. I know, it’s hard to put down the triple chocolate fudge and go back to veggie wraps and oatmeal, but just because something is made with smart ingredients doesn’t mean it has to be boring boring! In fact, I absolutely love taking foods that are traditionally decadent and revamping them with better ingredients and bold new flavors. Every year I pick a new food obsession to experiment with – you may have guessed that 2014’s food of the year for me was the sweet potato. Well, this year I’m taking a more general approach and tackling tarts. I love everything about a good tart, and besides the yum factor, the sky is the limit with these babies. You can make them sweet, savory, intricate, simple, and everything in between. You already know I love to make things a little differently, so my first tart of the year is a yummy blackberry and yogurt creation with a rich, nutty crust made from Quaker Steel Cut and Old Fashioned oats I picked up on my latest Target trip.
These tartlets seriously rock my socks. Not only are they bursting with flavor, but they are packed to the gills with fruit and oats which is a smart choice in my book any day. Oh yeah, and did I mention they’re easy? You can whip up a six count of these in around 30 minutes and serve at breakfast, as an after meal treat or any time you feel like a snack.
Blackberry tartlets
You will need:
- 2 cups Quaker Steel Cut Oats
- 2 cups Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 cups milk (I use Coconut Milk but any is fine)
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- Large container of vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
- Blackberries
- Six 4-inch or one 8-inch tart pan
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Food processor
The first thing you want to do is to soak your oats to soften them up, help break down their starch and make them easy to digest. They come out of the canister dry and need to either be cooked or soaked to get the best experience out of them, but since we don’t want soggy tart crusts I thought it would be a good idea to soak them in coconut milk instead of hot water. I love cooking with Quaker oats because I grew up eating them, and they work really well in all kinds of recipes besides classic oatmeal. To soak them you will combine both oats and milk into a large bowl, mix them well so they are thoroughly coated, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. While they are sitting go ahead and gather the rest of your ingredients and supplies.
Once your oats are soaked, drain whatever excess liquid is left and then combine them in a food processor with your coconut, butter and honey and then pulse for a few minutes.
Now take your tart pans, add a few hefty spoonfulls into each one and press firmly on the sides and bottom until you have an even layer of crust.
Set your crusts aside while you whip up your yogurt mixture. You are going to combine one container of Greek yogurt with a pinch of sugar and 10 smashed blackberries. You can smash them however you like but I just put them in a bowl and go over with a fork until I have a soupy consistency. Pour it into your yogurt, mix well then spread onto your tart crusts.
Once your yogurt is spread, add a few blackberries to the top. Don’t they just look beautiful?
Pop your tarts into the fridge for around 10 minutes or until ready to serve and then enjoy! I absolutely love the way these turned out. The crust is the perfect mix of earthy and sweet with a slightly crunchy texture, while the smooth yogurt is both tart and creamy. Seriously, this is a match made in heaven!
If you aren’t a fan of blackberries, try some blueberries on top instead. You can customize these many different ways – you can add goji berries, chia seeds, strawberry, even key lime! Want to make them for yourself? You can find all the ingredients at your local Target. And look out for a special display with coordinating ingredients and great recipe ideas too!
