A Valentine's Day Tradition: Heart Tarts

In line with reintroducing grains back into my diet, I have a recipe here that uses sprouted flour! You can also still sign up for my giveaway of the Healthy Whole Grains e-course here, or sign up for the class here.

Learning how to work with whole grains the same way our ancestors did is crucial to maintaining good health. With all the problems with gluten these days, learning sprouting, soaking and sourdoughing skills can really improve your health and digestion (and maybe even your food allergies).

These heart tarts are full of fresh cherries and surrounded by a brown, buttery, flaky crust flecked with sugar. The flavors all meld together into a perfect little package that you can hold in your hand and give to your love. Aw!These cute little heart tarts are quite simple to make. All you need is some pie dough and pie filling and a little heart-shaped cookie cutter and you’re good to go! Give them to your valentine, or make them for your anniversary or special occasion. It is always a good idea to spread a little love to those you love.

I cannot take credit for this idea, but I can say that I have loved it ever since my mother-in-law told me about how she made Heart Tarts for her then-boyfriend, my father-in-law. In fact, I was over at her house yesterday and she was making them again. Every year for Valentine’s Day, for 36 years, she has made her sweetheart Heart Tarts. Absolutely adorable!

A few years ago when I was first married, I heard the story of how my husband’s parents met and how the Heart Tarts sealed the deal for their commitment to each other. So my sister-in-law and I who married into the family both decided to make them for our new husbands. After all, they had grown up seeing their mom make these cute little heart-shaped pies for their dad every year.

The Heart Tarts turned out beautifully and I decided I would make them every year, too. I want to keep this tradition alive. Plus, my husband is crazy for cherry pie filling! I asked him if I could use strawberries, but he insisted that that wouldn’t be right. After all, there’s a proper way to make a Heart Tart, you know!

Equipment Needed:

large bowl, whisk, and wooden spoon
measuring cups and spoons
rolling pin
large and small heart cookie cutters
half sheet baking sheet and parchment paper
pastry brush

Note: To make this GAPS-legal you can use the grain-free coconut flour pie crust here, and sub 2/3 cup of honey in the pie filling.

Cherry Pie Filling

1 cup whole cane sugar (buy whole cane sugar here)
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (buy arrowroot powder here)
5 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted

In a large bowl, whisk the whole cane sugar and arrowroot powder together. Then add the cherries and gently toss them together until well-coated.
Let stand for 15 minutes to let the cherries macerate in the bowl, stirring occasionally until a syrup forms. (If using frozen cherries, this will take longer: about 45 minutes until the cherries are slightly thawed but still a little icy).
Sprouted Flour Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups sprouted flour (how to make sprouted flour, or buy sprouted flour here)
1 teaspoon sea salt (buy unrefined sea salt here)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces (buy grass-fed butter here)
1/4 cup ice water

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine.
Add the butter pieces and pulse until they form small crumbs the size of peas.
With the food processor running, add the ice water by spoonful until the dough comes together in a ball.
Remove from the bowl and press together to form a disk. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before you work with it. You can also chill it overnight, or wrap it up with a double layer and freeze for later use.

Heart Tarts

one recipe Cherry Pie Filling
one recipe Sprouted Flour Pie Crust
whole milk, for brushing (find raw dairy near you here)
whole cane sugar, for sprinkling (buy whole cane sugar here)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out the pie crust dough out with a rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out as many large hearts as you can, then remove the excess dough and set aside. Then using a small cookie cutter cut out a small heart in the center of half of the large hearts. Save the little hearts for later, and set aside.
Assemble the heart tarts by putting the large hearts on a baking sheet, then placing a spoonful of the pie filling in the center and covering with a large heart with a small heart cutout. Then brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned and golden on the edges. Remove from baking sheet and let cool.