Fruit-Tart Flag/Free Form Tart Shells

After having a couple of these for dessert tonight my nine year old said " my tummy says I am very full - but my taste buds says I want more. 

I got this from foodnetwork. The tart cookies are also from Foodnetwork Free Form Tart Shells.  As you can see from the picture, I made tiny cookies instead of the shells and I made a bigger cookie for the left side of the flag design.  I still need to learn how to easily cut tiny dough circles.  This is also the first time I used mascarpone cheese and now we realized that it is something we all like.

Great dessert for 4th of July and so far the weather here is also great. 

Serve cold.

Directions

Fill premade miniature tart shells or phyllo cups with sweet mascarpone cream (recipe below), then arrange on a tray and top with blueberries and halved strawberry slices to create stars and stripes.

Mascarpone Cream:
Beat an 8-ounce container of mascarpone cheese and 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar with a mixer until smooth. Gently fold in 1/2 cup freshly whipped cream


For Free Form Tart Shells:

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, very cold
• 1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water

Directions

In a food processor, combine the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder. When well combined, add the butter and pulse the machine until the butter is broken up into the flour mixture. Add the egg and water and process until the dough forms a dough.
Transfer the dough into waxed paper; pat it (with floured hands if need be) into a flat round and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes or until it has relaxed and you can roll it out.
Divide the dough into approximately 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured board roll out the pieces until slightly thicker than 1/8th-inch thick. Rather than bother fitting them into tartlet shells and prebaking them, simply shape them into rough rounds (3 inches or 3 1/2 inches round) or cut them into hearts or rectangles. Transfer the free form shapes to a baking sheet and chill 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scraps can be shaped into smaller cookies.
Prick the dough with a fork (just as you would the bottom dough of a tartlet shell) so the dough doesn't puff up. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove them from the oven to a rack and let them cool. When completely cool top with whatever you like.