Description

These elegant tartlets feature a crisp sweet pastry filled with a refreshing cottage cheese–honey–lemon cream, topped with fresh strawberries, making them a perfect light dessert or refined afternoon treat.

Ingredients

250 g wheat flour

125 g cold unsalted butter, cubed

75 g icing sugar

1 whole egg

Pinch of salt

Cold water, 1–2 tbsp, if needed

500 g quark (white cheese)

80 g liquid honey (mild, e.g. acacia)

Zest & juice of 1 lemon (organic if possible)

2 tbsp icing sugar, to taste

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

500 g fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

Fresh mint leaves (optional, for decoration)

Neutral glaze (optional, to make strawberries shine)

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Instructions

Mix flour, icing sugar, and salt. Rub in cold butter until coarse crumbs form.
Add the egg and mix until dough starts coming together. If dry, add cold water 1 tbsp at a time.
Form the dough into a disc, wrap it, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Roll dough 3 mm thick, line tartlet pans, and prick bases.
Line with parchment paper, fill with baking beads or dried beans, and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove beads/parchment and bake another 5–10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
In a bowl, combine quark, honey, lemon zest and juice, icing sugar, and vanilla if using. Taste and adjust sweetness or tang.
Cover and chill the cream for at least 30 minutes.
Spoon or pipe the lemon–honey cream into cooled tartlet shells.
Top with fresh strawberries. Brush with neutral glaze if desired and garnish with mint leaves.

Notes

If you prefer a richer texture, substitute quark with Greek yogurt or mascarpone.
For extra zing, add a spoonful of lemon curd to the cream.
Raspberries or blueberries can be used instead of strawberries.
Mini tartlets can be made using smaller pans—yielding about 16 bite-sized treats.
The dough can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling out and baking.
To prevent soggy pastry, ensure tartlet shells are thoroughly blind-baked and completely cooled before filling.

Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling total)
Cook Time: 20–25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: European

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 tartlet
Calories: 200-250
Sugar: 15g
Sodium: 30mg
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 25g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 40mg