Miniature Tartlets Pastry & Swiss Bettinas

[kirra]

Miniature Tartlet Pastry

This amount is enough for 8 dozen round fluted mini tart shells, 1.5 inches in diameter. Whatever you don't use can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (350g) un-sifted plain flour (I use half plain, half whole-meal)
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup (65g) castor sugar
8 oz (225g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1tsp pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Put the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor bowl. Pulse a few times to blend ingredients together. Scatter all the butter over the flour, pulse off/on until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal.

Whisk egg and vanilla together in a small bowl. With the motor on, pour the egg mixture down the feed tube. Process until the mixture forms a ball. Remove to the lightly floured work surface, press the dough together until it is smooth and cohesive.

Grease your tartlet shells. Now, you can roll out the dough then fit into the tartlet tins. Or, pinch about 1 -1/5 tsp of dough and press into the tins to distribute the dough evenly. Just remember not to create a very thick shell.

Place the tart tins on a baking tray. Bake these tartlet shells for 10-12 mins at pre-heated oven of 350F (170c) or until lightly golden. Cool. When the tins are cool enough to touch, squeeze each tin gently with your thumb and forefinger, turn it upside-down and let the tartlet shell drop into the palm of your hand. The pre-baked shell can be kept at room temperature for up to 1 week.



Swiss Bettinas

This amount is enough to fill 1/2 recipe of the pre-baked Miniature Tartlet Pastry above.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (100g) castor sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 tsp honey

Preparation:

Put sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally with wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, without stirring, until the sugar caramelized with nice dark color. Turn off the heat, add butter, then, cream. Stir until everything blends together. Stir in the chopped walnuts and honey white the cream is hot. Cool for at least 30 mins, then spoon about 1 tsp of filling into each baked shell.