-PASTRY-
1/2 c Cold butter; cut into pieces
6 tb Lard or shortening such as
-crisco
2 1/2 c All-purpose flour
4 tb Ice water; up to 6
FILLING
4 Eggs
1 1/2 c Cottage cheese
1 sm Onion; finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves; minced
10 oz Frozen chopped spinach;
-thawed
1 c Shredded monterey jack
-cheese
1/2 c Freshly grated parmesan
-cheese
1/2 ts Salt
To Make The Pastry: 1. In a large bowl, cut the butter and lard into the
flour with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse
crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time,
stirring with a fork until the pastry is well blended and gathers into a
ball. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour. Wrap in plastic wrap and
refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Divide the chilled dough into 2 portions. Roll one portion out on a
lightly floured work surface into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out
pieces to fit onto a 2 1/2 to 3 inch tartlet pans. Gently press the pieces
of dough into the pans and prick them on bottom with a fork. Repeat with
the second portion of dough. Put the pans on a baking sheet and place them
in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is firm.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut small squares of foil, each about 3
inches square, for each tartlet.
4. Remove the pans from the freezer. Line the pastry with the foil squares,
shiny side down, and fill the foil with dried beans, rice, or pastry
weights to keep the pastry flat during baking.
5. Bake the pastry shells 12 to 15 minutes, or until the foil lifts out of
the shells easily. Remove the foil and weights from the shells. Continue
baking the shells 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pastry is very lightly
browned and firm. Cool the shells completely, about 45 minutes, in the
pans.
6. Remove the cooled shells from the pans. They may be stored in the
refrigerator in a tightly closed container for a few days or in the freezer
for several weeks.
To Make the Tartlets: 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl,
beat the eggs. Add the cottage cheese, onion, and garlic and mix well.
2. In a sieve, press the water out of the spinach. Add the spinach,
cheeses, and salt to the egg mixture. Stir until well mixed.
3. Fill each baked pastry shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling.
4. Put the shells on baking sheets and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until
they are puffed and golden on top. Serve hot.
Yields
30 Servings