Mini Cherry Apple Meringue Tarts

I have a confession to make. I have little patience for desserts that require more than mixing the dry ingredients with the wet.

While the idea of creating exquisite French pastries or 7 layer cakes does get me excited every now and then, I rarely make it past the second step in such a recipe before deciding to make muffins instead. 

But something happened this past weekend. In the kitchen itching to make dessert, I ended up with a tart that required not 1, not 2, but 3 steps. Maybe it was the lack of a recipe that made the process so simple, or maybe it was the simplicity of each step...whatever it was, it was good. A new addition to my simple (somewhat elaborate) dessert repertoire was born. 

RECIPE

Crust:

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Meringue:

2 egg whites

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

Filling:

1 cup pitted sour cherries (jarred)

1 medium granny smith apple, peeled & grated (about 1 cup)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 6 ramekins or mini pie pans with a small amount of canola oil or non-stick cooking spray.

Make the crust: Combine yolks (reserving whites for the meringue), oil, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix in flour until a pliable dough forms. Roll out dough on a piece of parchment paper to 1/2-inch thickness. Use a ramekin or 3-inch cookie cutter to cut circles out of dough (you may need to re-roll the scraps of dough to form all 6). Press circles into prepared ramekins. Don't worry if the dough breaks, just press pieces of dough together to mend. Bake in preheated oven, 10 minutes.

Make meringue: In a medium bowl, whip egg whites along with sugar until soft peaks form. *to test for soft peaks, dip whisk into whites and hold upright. Whites should stick to whisk but curve to the side as the whisk is raised.

Make the filling: Stir filling ingredients together in a large bowl.

Assemble tarts: Distribute filling among baked pie crusts. Top with meringue. Bake 12-14 minutes, until meringue is golden and slightly hardened.