Sweet tartlet shells (individual tart crusts)

Sweet tartlet shell - pate sucree tart crust

Sweet tartlet shells (individual tart crusts)

Recipe video above. This is a recipe for individual sweet tartlet shells made with pâte sucrée, the classic pastry dough used by French pâtisseries for tart crusts. It's my default crust for sweet tarts - I prefer it to regular shortcrust because it’s crisper, more delicate and doesn't disintegrate into a mess of crumbs, plus the dough is easier to work with too!

Use this recipe for small tarts using tartlet tins or even muffin tins. For a large single tart crust, see this recipe here.

Makes pastry for 6 standard pâtisserie-size tartlet tins (12cm / 4.7"), as pictured in post. Or 18 mini shells using a standard muffin tin (see Notes 4 and 5). You can also follow these same directions for frozen shortcrust pastry, partially thaw then use per recipe.

Prep Time20

Cook Time17

Dough chilling1

Total Time1 32

Course: Sweet Baking

Cuisine: French, Western

Keyword: individual tart crust, mini tart crust, sweet tartlet shell

Servings: tartlet tins 12cm / 4.7", 18 muffin-tin size shells

Calories: 307cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup soft icing sugar (powdered sugar) , sifted (Note 1)
2 1/2 tbsp almond meal (ground almonds) , not almond flour (Note 2)
1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter , unsalted, softened, cut into 1cm / 0.4" cubes
1 large egg , at room temperature (~50 - 55g/2 oz) (Note 3)

Cups - Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

Mix dry ingredients, rub in butter then egg (or use food processor). Form disc, fridge 30 min. Portion into 6 balls*, roll out 15 cm / 6.5" round (~3mm / 1/8" thick), line 6 tartlet tins, trim excess. Fridge 30 min. Blind bake 12 min at 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan) with weights + 5 min uncovered for par-baked.
* For mini tins or muffin tin, roll out single large one and press out circles. Gather scraps and repeat.

FULL RECIPE:

Pâte sucrée pastry dough:

By hand option - Mix together flour, icing sugar, salt and almond meal in a bowl. Add butter and use your fingertips to rub it in until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg, mix with a rubber spatula until it becomes too hard to stir anymore, then use your hands to bring it together into a dough.
Food processor (30 sec) - Using the standard metal S blade, pulse the flour, icing sugar, salt and almond meal once just to combine. Add butter and pulse 3 to 4 times until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and blitz for 15 to 20 seconds until it comes together into a dough.
Fridge 30 min - Turn dough out from the bowl or food processor onto a work surface. Knead lightly just to bring together into a smooth ball. Flatten into a 2cm / 0.8" thick disc. Wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Rolling out:

Divide dough (for larger tartlet tins) - Cut the disc into 6 equal portions, or however many tartlet tins you are using, then roll into balls. (If using a muffin tin or lots of mini tart tins, don't portion, roll out one big sheet, press circles out and press into tin. See Note 4)
Roll each ball out into a 15 cm / 6.5" round (~3mm / 1/8" thick).
Line and trim - Press pastry into 6 tartlet tins (12cm / 4.7"), taking care not to stretch the dough as this causes shrinkage during baking. Roll the rolling pin over the tartlet tin to trim excess dough.
Prick the base of the pastry 10 times with a fork. Not all the way through - just make a light prick on the surface. (Do less pricks for smaller tarts).
Refrigerate 30 minutes - Put the pastry in the tart tin for 30 minutes. (Extra insurance policy to avoid shrinkage and walls sliding down).

Baking:

Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan-forced).
Baking beads - Cut or tear baking paper into pieces about 50% larger than the tart shells. Scrunch the paper in your fist then unravel, smooth out and fit into the tartlet tins (scrunching makes it fit in more easily into the corners). Fill with baking beads (or dry raw rice or beans).

Baking (par-bake or full baked):

Park-bake or fully baked? Par-bake if the tartlet shell will be baked again after filling (eg. almond cream / frangipane like Raspberry Tartlets). Fully bake if they will not be baked again (eg filling with pastry cream or whipped cream).
Par-baked (12 + 5 min) - Bake 12 minutes. Use paper overhang to remove the beads, then bake uncovered for 5 minutes. Pastry should pale golden on the base and light golden on the edges. It will go golden when the filled pastry is baked.
Fully baked (14 + 5 min) - Bake 15 minutes, remove beads, then bake 5 minutes uncovered. The base should be light golden and the edges should be golden.
Cool and fill - Fully cool in the tart tins before filling and baking again if filling needs to be cooked (like Raspberry Tartlets).
Storage - Or keep unfilled in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

1. Soft icing sugar - note for those of you in Australia, this recipe calls for SOFT Icing Sugar, not Pure Icing Sugar (which sets hard, like for royal icing). The icing sugar packet will be labelled "soft" or "pure icing sugar.

2. "Almond meal" is called "ground almonds" in some countries. Not to be confused with "almond flour" which is more finely ground.

Ground hazelnuts can also be used though it makes the crust taste of hazelnuts.

3. Eggs - sold standardised as "large eggs" (labelled on carton). They are 50 - 55 g / 2 oz each in shell. Ensure they are at room temperature so they incorporate into the mixture properly (cold eggs into creamed butter = butter can solidify = not good!)

4. Tart tins and rolling out - If using larger individual tartlet tins like the 6 x 12cm / 4.7" ones I have, I find the most efficient way to roll and line the tins is to portion the dough into individual balls. But if you're making more than, say, 8 smaller tartlets (smaller tins or muffin tin), it is more efficient for you to roll out one big sheet then cut rings out to line your tins. Cut out circles large enough to fit the muffin tin hole or your mini tartlet tins, factoring in the wall height (pastry doesn't shrink). Gather scraps and roll out again.

5. Baking for muffin tin and smaller tartlet tins - Bake for 12 minutes with weights per recipe but only 2 minutes uncovered, just to make it golden. They are smaller so they bake faster. This applies to both standard and mini muffin tins (as pictured in post).

Storage: Keeps 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge (for very warm weather) or pantry (if mild or cold weather).

Dough can also be made and left in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cut then leave for 20 - 30 min (or longer if required) to soften slightly so you can roll balls and roll it out.

Nutrition - Nutrition is for the whole tart shell, assuming six tartlets.

Nutrition