Pomegranate Tarts

September 15, 2014

After apples and honey, pomegranates are one of the most ubiquitous foods on the Rosh Hashana table.  Because the pomegranate has so many seeds it is a symbol of plenty. On Rosh Hashana we state the hope “that our merits increase like (the seeds of) a pomegranate” in the coming year. I always try to incorporate as many different forms of the simanim, the foods for good omens, in my Rosh Hashana meals so my desserts tend to reflect the simanim as well. Some years I have made assorted cakes with the simanim (honey cake, pumpkin cake, and carrot cake) but this year I want the pomegranates to be front and center.  I made these pomegranate tarts a few years back for Joy of Kosher but I wanted to share them here since they are on my menu again this year.

These individual pomegranate tarts are the perfect way to highlight the many seeds within each pomegranate. The sweet tart crust is filled with a soft pomegranate curd and topped with as many fresh pomegranate seeds as will fit on top. The seeds look like glistening jewels making this a very elegant dessert. As tasty as they are beautiful, these tarts are a great way to start the new year.

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Ingredients & Quantities

  • 1 pie crust, enough for a 9 inch pie (I like this recipe)
  • 2 cups pomegranate juice
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • fresh pomegranate seeds for topping

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Remove chilled pie crust from the refrigerator and sprinkle a large board or countertop with a little flour. Unwrap the dough and place it on the work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. If the dough is hard let rest for a few minutes, it should give a little when you press your fingers into it.

Roll with light pressure, from the center out, lifting and rotating the dough as you roll it into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Cut the dough into circles two inches larger in diameter than the tart pans. (There should be a one inch border around the pan). Carefully lift the dough into the pans and trim the tops. Re-roll the scraps and repeat to fill the remaining tart pans. Place the pans in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to chill.

Prick the bottoms of the tarts with a fork and line the pans with foil. Top with pie weights and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a small sauce pan. Place the corn starch in a small bowl and whisk in the lime juice until smooth. Add the corn starch mixture to the pot.

Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into the baked tart shells. Top with the fresh pomegranate seeds. Chill until set, at least one hour.

Recipe Times

Prep

20 Minutes

Cook

20 Minutes

Total

1 Hour

Recipe Yield

7 (4 inch) tarts

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8 Comments

  1. Pingback: Good Omen Cake

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