Heart Tarts

Heart Tarts are super cute and easy for Valentine's Day.  Although I usually advocate making things from scratch, store-bought pie dough is easier for kids to work with, so that's what I used.  You'll need a box of crust, or make your own double-crust recipe, jam or cinnamon filling, frosting, and decorations.  You can make them any size you want, just be careful not to overfill the smaller ones.

Heart Tarts

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut out an even number of heart shapes.  
3. Beat one egg with one tablespoon of water in a small bowl.  
4. Very lightly brush the egg wash on half of the heart shapes.  
5. Put a small amount of filling in the center of the hearts you brushed with egg wash.  
6. Lay another heart shape on top and press gently to seal the edges.  *Seal the inside point of the heart first to keep the filling in.
7. Crimp the edges with the back of a fork.
8. Bake 12-15 minutes until just starting to brown around the edges.  
9. Cool, frost, and decorate

Jam Filling:

• 3/4 c jam or jelly
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp water

Whisk together all ingredients in a small saucepan.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat slightly, and simmer 2 minutes.  Cool completely.  

Cinnamon Filling:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 

Frosting:

• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Add additional water if needed to make a smooth, creamy frosting.  Pour into a piping bag (or into a ziploc bag and snip off the corner).  Pipe a heart outline on each tart, allow to dry, then fill in the center.  Sprinkle with decorations before the frosting hardens.