Easy tarts from your family test kitchen

Get your creative juices going with your own family test kitchen, and bake something new and mouthwatering like these cherry chocolate tarts.

Mine are actually a spinoff of a new and easy recipe developed at Pillsbury’s real test kitchen by test-kitchen expert Julie Hinderks for Pillsbury’s Just Unroll! Pie Crusts. Not only did I get to taste her delicious Caramel Apple Marshmallow Tarts, but I got to work with a creative team to produce online videos with “how-to” steps and tips for baking tarts and a pie for pillsbury.com.

Inspired by the experience, I came up with these cherry chocolate tarts with my family. “There is no end to the combinations for these individual desserts,” says Julie. “Develop your own spinoffs with other favorite ingredients, such as peach or blueberry pie filling.” Let’s get baking!

Tip: Before you get started, watch my new online video for making simple tarts for your family. Go to www.pillsbury.com and click on “Watch Donna Erickson.”

For eight individual-size tarts, you’ll need the following ingredients:

•2 rolled-out rounds of pie dough, such as refrigerated pie crusts in the dairy case of your grocery store

•1 cup cherry pie filling

•1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and sliced in half (optional)

•3 tablespoons chocolate topping

Heat oven to 400 F.

Set pie crusts on work surface. With a 4 1/2 -inch round cookie cutter, cut 4 rounds from each pie crust and place on an ungreased, large cookie sheet.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons pie filling onto the center of each pie-crust round. Add fresh cherries (optional).

Firmly fold edge of crust over sides of filling, ruffling decoratively. For fun, use small cookie cutters to make shapes out of remaining pie crust. Place in the center of each tart.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Cool.

Serve with chocolate topping lightly drizzled over tarts.

Tip: If you don’t have a round cookie cutter, a large stewed-tomato can or yogurt container makes a dandy substitute. Turn it upside-down and press into the dough to make the shapes.