Mini Tart Shells
Mini Tart Shells are trim pastry crusts commonly used as a base for sweet or savory tart fillings. It’s similar to a shortbread cookie recipe that’s made from a mixture of flour, butter, sugar, and egg yolks. The texture is crumbly which complements the filling. In this recipe, the shells are fully baked before adding the custard filling. This technique ensures a crisp and golden shell that holds up well to the moisture of the custard.
tips on making perfectly shaped and delicious tart shells
- Use a good quality mini tart pan or mold: Look for a non-stick pan made from durable materials such as metal or silicone.
- Chill your dough: This will help prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and make it easier to handle.
- Roll out your dough evenly: Make sure the dough is not too thick or too thin, or it will affect the texture of your tart shells.
- Cut the dough circles: Use a cookie cutter or a cup to cut out circles of dough that are slightly larger than the tart pan. This will give you enough dough to work with when shaping the shells.
- Pre-bake the shells: Pre-baking the shells will help them hold their shape and prevent fogginess. Make sure they’re completely cooled before adding your filling.
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Ingredients you need
Flour– all-purpose flour
Sugar – granulated sugar
Salt – fine sea salt
Butter – unsalted butter, cubed
Egg – egg yolk
Water
How To Make The Fruit Tart Shells
Time needed: 1 hour
TART SHELLS
- USE A FOOD PROCESSOR
In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt, and pulse until combined.
- BUTTER
Add the cold butter and continue pulsing until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- EGG YOLK
In a small bowl, mix the water and egg yolk.
- FORM THE DOUGH
Slowly pour the egg yolk and water mixture into the food processor’s mouthfeed. Process until the dough forms and the sides of the processor are clean, about 2 minutes.
- CHILL
Remove the dough from the food processor and form it into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes or until firm.
- ROLL
Lightly dust the surface with flour, and roll the dough in 1/2 an inch thick about 10-12 inch diameter. Use a cookie cutter or glass and cut the dough into 1/4 inch larger than your tart mold.
- PLACE THE DOUGH INTO THE MOLD
Press the dough into each mold making sure there’s no air pocket. Use a fork to prick holes into the tart shells. Chill for another 30 minutes.
- BAKE
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the tart shells from the fridge, place a parchment paper or coffee filter on top, and fill them with weights. You can either use some pie weights, uncooked rice, or beans. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Then remove the weights (be careful they’re hot). Place them back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until fully crispy and golden brown. Cool completely before adding any filling.
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Mini Tart Shells
Equipment
- Mini tart molds
- Food processor
- baking sheet pan
- Pie weights
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and process until combined. Add the cold butter and continue pulsing until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, mix egg yolk and cold water. Slowly pour the mixture into the food processor's feed tube. Process until the dough comes together and the sides of the food processor are clean (about 2 minutes).
- Remove the dough from the food processor and form it into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes or until firm.
- Remove from the fridge and leave out for 5 minutes to make sure it is pliable enough to roll out.
- Lightly dust the surface with flour, and roll the dough in 1/2 inch thick about 10-12 in diameter. Use a cookie cutter or glass and cut the dough into 1/4 inch larger than your tart mold. See NOTE #1
- Press the dough into each mold making sure there's no air pocket. Use a fork to prick holes into the tart shells. Chill for another 30 minutes. See NOTE #2
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the tart shells from the fridge, place a parchment paper or coffee filter on top, and fill them with some pie weights. Or you can use uncooked rice or beans.
- Bake for 5-8 minutes or until slightly browned. Then remove the weights (be careful they're hot). Place them back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Cool completely before adding any filling.
Video
Notes
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