Recipe: Maids of Honor (tarts)

MAIDS OF HONOR

PASTRY:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cold, divided
water
FILLING:
jam
1/3 cup golden raisins
6 oz cottage cheese, sieved
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp ground or finely chopped almonds
1/2 tsp almond extract
ICING:
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
water
Few drops Almond extract

FOR THE PASTRY:
Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add 1/3 of the butter or margarine and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add enough water to make an elastic dough. Roll out to an oblong on a lightly floured board.

Cut the remaining butter into small pieces. Dot 2/3 of the dough with half the fat pieces. Bring up the uncovered dough third and fold in three like an envelope. Turn the pastry so that the open end faces you and roll out again into an oblong. Repeat with the remaining fat, fold and turn. Roll out, fold and chill.

Roll out the dough until it is wafer thin. Cut out 12-15 circles and place each circle to make individual crusts in the cups of a fairly deep 3-inch muffin tin.

FOR THE FILLING:
Put a tsp of jam into each cup.

Mix together all the remaining filling ingredients, beating well. Spoon into the pastry tins over the jam.

Bake in a hot to very hot oven, 450-475 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to moderate, 350F and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

FOR THE ICING:
Blend the confectioner's sugar with enough water to make a flowing consistency.
Mix in the almond extract. Spoon a little on each little cake and let set to harden.

Makes 12-15