Servings: —
Source: Fine Cooking
Sweet Tartlet Dough
This buttery crust is easy to handle, can be made ahead and frozen for up to one month, and is a cinch to mold with a wooden tart tamper (see Sources, p. 86). I use three standard medium-size muffin tins, each cup measuring 2 ¾ inches. If you don’t have three, bake the tartlets in batches. If you can’t find superfine sugar, make your own by processing granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds. Yields 3 dozen 2-inch tartlets.
Ingredients
Sweet Tartlet Dough
10 1/8 oz (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup superfine sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ “” cubes
1 lg egg
1 lg egg yolk
1 Tbsp cold water
¾ tsp vanilla extract
Gingery Cranberry-Pear Tartlets
Crystallized ginger accents this filling with sweet pears and tart cranberries.
Yields 12 tartlets.
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 medium, slightly under ripe pears (I like Anjou), about ¾ lb total, peeled, cored, and cut into ½ “” chunks
1/3 cup golden raisins
4 tsp minced crystallized ginger
A few drops vanilla extract
12 muffin cup lined with Sweet Tartlet Dough (see above recipe)
Pecan Tartlets
This version of pecan pie is neither cloyingly sweet nor overly gooey.
It’s simply crunchy toasted pecans sprinkled over a mouthwatering brown sugar filling.
Yields 12 tartlets.
2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp heavy cream
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
½ cup light corn syrup
I Tbsp melted unsalted butter
¾ tsp vanilla extract
12 muffin cup lined with Sweet Tartlet Dough (see above recipe)
4 oz (1 cup) broken pecans, lightly toasted in a 325°F oven for 8 to 10 min.
Position an oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F.
Pumpkin Tartlets
You might want to garnish these with whipped cream and perhaps a very thin strip of orange zest, twisted into a knot.
Yields 12 tartlets.
1 lg egg yolk
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp grated orange zest
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
A few dashes ground cloves
12 muffin cup lined with Sweet Tartlet Dough (see above recipe)
Position an oven rack to the lower third of the oven.
Heat the oven to 375°F.
Directions
Sweet Tartlet Dough
Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times to blend. Distribute the butter in the bowl and pulse 7 to 8 times. Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to I0 seconds. In a small bowl, beat together the egg, egg yolk, water, and vanilla with a fork. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and pulse 5 to 6 times. Process until the mixture just begins to form a mass, 8 to 10 seconds. Empty the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 times until the dough is just smooth and malleable. Shape it into an evenly thick 6-inch square. Using a pastry scraper or the dull side of a long knife, score the dough at 1-inch intervals so you get 36 1 -inch squares. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 min.
Lightly spray the muffin tins with vegetable oil (not necessary for nonstick tins). Using the score lines as a guide, cut the dough into 36 1 -inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball in your palms (lightly flour your hands, if necessary). Put 1 ball in the center of each muffin cup.
If you have a wooden tart tamper, flour it lightly. Press the wider end onto a ball of dough until the dough thins out and begins coming up the sides of the cup, and then twist the tamper slightly to release it. Use the tamper’s narrower end to push the dough halfway up the sides and to smooth out the dough where the sides meet the bottom.
If you don’t have a tart tamper, use a narrow, flat-bottomed glass or your fingers, lightly floured, to press the dough into the cups.
Tilt the muffin tin to see if the dough reaches the same level in all the cups; also check for any holes in the dough (this could cause the tartlet to stick to the pan). Rub your thumb around the rim of the dough in each cup for a clean, smooth edge. Slightly less than ½ inch of each cup should be exposed. Chill for at least 10 min. to firm the dough and then fill the cups with any or all of the following fillings.
Gingery Cranberry-Pear Tartlets
In a 3-qt. saucepan, cook the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice over medium heat just until the berries begin to pop. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for 5 min. Add the pears, raisins, and ginger. Cook over low heat with the lid askew until the pears are translucent, stirring gently if necessary, 10 to 12 min. Uncover and continue cooking until the liquid is syrupy and has reduced to about 2 Tbs., about 2 min. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the vanilla (avoid crushing the pears). Let cool to room temperature; the mixture thickens as it stands.
Position an oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spoon the filling into the dough-lined muffin cups. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 30 min. Cool for 10 min. Run a thin knife around the tartlets to loosen and then let them cool until they’re firm enough to handle, about another 15 min. Using the tip of a small knife, gently lift the tartlets from the pan and set them on a wire rack to cool.
Pecan Tartlets
In a medium bowl, blend the eggs and cream. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, along with the corn syrup and melted butter; don’t overmix. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the filling to a measuring cup with a spout and pour into the dough-lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the tops. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 28 to 30 min. Cool for 10 min. Run a thin knife around the tartlets to loosen and then let them cool until they’re firm enough to handle, about another 15 min. Using the tip of a small knife, gently lift the tartlets from the pan and set them on a wire rack to cool.
Pumpkin Tartlets
Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse just until the mixture is smooth, 5 to 6 times; don’t overprocess. Empty the filling into a measuring cup with a spout and pour the filling into the dough-lined muffin cups. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 min. Cool for 10 min. Run a thin knife around the tartlets to loosen and then let them cool until they’re firm enough to handle, about another 15 min. Using the tip of a small knife, gently lift the tartlets from the pan and set them on a wire rack to cool.