Goat Cheese And Berries Tarts.

Ingredients

For the pate sablee

• 2 tablespoons (20gr) slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup (50gr) cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 stick (56.5gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup (90gr) all-purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the goat cheese mousse

• 200 ml heavy cream, cold
• 4 oz (120gr) goat cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (25gr) to 1/4 cup (50gr) sugar, depending on your preference
• juice and zest of half a lemon

• 2 cups assorted berries such as raspberries, red currants, blueberries, etc...

Method

Prepare the pate sablee

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place almonds and 2 tablespoons (25gr) sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla bean seeds, ground nuts and salt on medium speed until well-combined. Slowly add remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and flour and mix well. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
Place the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out four 6- inch rounds and fit them inside four 4- inch tartlet rings, patting the dough in with your fingertips if it breaks on you as you transfer the rounds. Gather the scraps and set aside.
Prick the dough with a fork and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a piece of parchment paper inside the tart shells, fill with beans or pie weights. Bake the shells for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks and remove the pie weights.

Prepare the goat cheese mousse

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks and reserve it in the refrigerator while you prepare the mousse.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the goat cheese and sugar with a spatula (if the goat cheese is soft enough there is no need to put your mixer to use on that one). Add the lemon zest and juice and mix thoroughly until incorporated.
Carefully fold the reserved whipped cream into the goat cheese base by placing your spatula in the center of the bowl, scooping the bottom over the top. Give your bowl a 45 degree turn and repeat until the batter is smooth. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse and divide it evenly among all tart cooled tart shells.