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Homemade Tartlets from Puff Pastry
Instructions
First of all, crack and beat 1 egg. It is needed for brushing the tartlet blanks – this way the finished tartlets will have a lovely golden colour after baking. You can do without the egg, in which case the tartlets will simply turn out a pleasant beige.
For the first option you will need a muffin tin. Thaw the yeast-free puff pastry so it is easy to work with, and roll it out lightly. Cut the pastry into squares of about 10×10 cm.
Grease the metal muffin tin with vegetable oil. Press the pastry into the moulds so that the corners stick up. Brush the blanks with the beaten egg.
Bake the tartlets in the oven at 180 degrees for 20–25 minutes, until golden. The baking time depends on the power of your oven, the size of the tartlets and the thickness of the pastry.
The tartlets came out in a very interesting shape – it will be convenient to put any filling in them, and they look original and festive on the table.
For the second option, roll the pastry out lightly as well. Cut out 6 circles 8 cm in diameter, and then cut a 4 cm circle out of the middle of three of them.
Place the circles with a hole in the middle on top of the circles without holes. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Right now these tartlets look flat and it seems impossible to put anything in them. But that is not the case. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20–25 minutes.
The tartlets turned out very original. To make it easier to add the filling, lightly press the centre with a small spoon.
And one more way of making tartlets. Roll the puff pastry out thinner than in the previous 2 times, and cut out circles 8 cm in diameter.
Grease the muffin tin with vegetable oil and place one circle in each mould, forming neat edges – the pastry should not stick out too far.
Then cover the pastry with small pieces of foil and add any weight – I use pearl barley, but you can take peas, beans or special baking weights.
Bake the tartlets in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil together with the weight. The homemade puff-pastry tartlets come out neat and can be filled with any filling.Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
Thaw the pastry well – but not until it is "melting". About 30–60 minutes in the fridge makes it pliable but not sticky.
- 2
The egg wash gives the golden colour. Without it the tartlets are pale. Instead of egg you can use milk or sweet tea.
- 3
A weight while baking keeps the bottom from puffing up. Pearl barley, peas or beans keep for years and can be reused many times.
- 4
180 °C is the optimum. Higher and they will burn; lower and they will be pale and underbaked. The same principle works for other kinds of puff-pastry baking.
Video
FAQ
Which pastry should I choose? +
Yeast-free puff pastry is ideal – the classic choice for tartlets. Alternatives are yeast puff pastry (for "fluffier" tartlets), filo (thin, for "Greek" versions) and shortcrust (crumbly, for sweet fillings). Making your own is possible but laborious – homemade puff pastry takes 2–3 hours with the rolling. Do not use expired pastry, as it will not rise when baked. Thaw it in the fridge rather than on the worktop, where it will spread. A thickness of 3–4 mm is optimal for tartlets.
Which fillings are suitable? +
Cold savoury fillings: red caviar with cream cheese, lightly salted salmon with herbs, shrimp with mayonnaise, tuna with egg, ham with cheese. Warm fillings: chicken salad, mushroom julienne, vegetable sauté, liver pâté. Sweet fillings: cream with berries, chocolate spread with banana, custard with fruit. Not suitable: runny fillings (sauces) will leak, and overly wet ones (fresh tomatoes without preparation). Allow about 1–2 tablespoons of filling per tartlet. For a buffet, prepare 3–4 different kinds of filling.
How long do the tartlets keep? +
Empty ones, in a jar with a lid at room temperature, keep for 5 days. In an airtight container, up to 7 days. Filled, they last 2–3 hours at most (after that the pastry goes soggy). For longer storage, freeze the empty tartlets (up to 1 month, in a bag). Thaw them in the oven for 5 minutes at 150 °C to bring back the crispness. Before serving filled tartlets, chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes. Do not leave filled tartlets at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, as some products spoil (fish, pâtés). For a buffet, fill them 20–30 minutes before serving. For a picnic, take the empty tartlets in a container with the filling separately, and fill them on the spot.
What to serve tartlets with? +
For a buffet table, a mix of 3–4 kinds of filling. With champagne or dry white wine for a festive presentation. For a children's party, with mini-salads or cheese. With cocktails for an office party. For a birthday, with different fillings for the guests. They are not the best match for a cup of tea – they go better with alcoholic drinks. For a picnic, take them empty with the filling separately. For a formal dinner, with caviar, salmon and cheese for an impressive spread. An all-purpose appetizer for special occasions.
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