Smores Tartlettes

For someone who primarily bakes, I'm not much of a sweets eater. If my life depended on the choice between sweet versus savory, I'd choose savory hands down. I love salt so much so that I used to just moisten my fingers, dip them in salt, and then proceed to lick it off my fingers. So... basically, when I get kidney stones, I'll know exactly why and who to blame.

When I made these smores tartlettes, I wasn't expecting to love them much. When I do enjoy sweets, I usually prefer ones on the less sweet side. These, filled with a rich chocolate ganache and topped with toasty marshmallows seemed like they would be much too rich for my own taste, which is why I chose to make them as a present for someone else. But as I tasted these teeny little tartlettes, I was surprised by how much I was drawn to them. They're actually the perfect treat! I love when I prove myself wrong.

Smores Tartlettes

Yields: 10 mini tarts

Original recipe here.

For the crust:

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

5 tbsn. unsalted butter

For the filling:

5 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tbsn. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

pinch of salt (I used fleur de sell)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well blended and crumbly. Transfer the mixture to the mini tart pans and use your fingers to press the graham crackers into the pan. Bake until set and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and butter until warm and the butter is melted. Stir to combine and pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for several minutes, then stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla and let cool completely. Pour into the mini crusts and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours. Right before serving, press a layer of mini marshmallows into the chilled ganache. Use a blow torch to toast the marshmallows until golden brown.

Frangipane Fruit Tart

This, my friends, is one of my favorite things I've ever made. Ever.

It's the epitome of desserts I love because it is both rich tasting and refreshing at the same time! Plus, it has custard and of course, anything that has custard in it is a win in my book. Let me just emphasize again that this fruit tart is amazing; not only does it taste amazing, it's literally breathtaking to look at. It starts with a chewy and sweet sugar cookie crust, which is then filled with the most fragrant and delicious frangipane filling. On top of that is a layer of creamy vanilla custard that helps keep the whole tart moist and enables the fruit to stick to the tart. If you can imagine anything more this tart needs, it is then topped with a medley of fresh fruit and beautified with an apricot glaze that makes it even more stunning to look at!

I know this sounds really tedious, having five components and all, but the way I make this tart (using shortcuts) makes it do-able and when you take a bite of this gorgeous thing you just made, you'll start thinking of when you're gonna make it again and again! I've made it almost 10 times already... not joking!

French Fruit Tart

Yields: 2 9" tarts

Original frangipane recipe here.

http://gourmeted.com/2010/07/28/blueberry-frangipane-tart/

For the crust:

1 package dry mix sugar cookie dough

1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

+ the ingredients needed to make it, according to the package

For the custard layer:

1 small package of French vanilla pudding

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla 

 For the frangipane layer:

8 tbsn. unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup almond meal or ground almonds

4 tsp. cornstarch

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. almond extract

For the glaze:

1/4 cup apricot jam or orange marmalade

2 tbsn. water

For the filling (any assortment of the below will work):

raspberries

golden raspberries

blueberries

strawberries

blackberries

kiwi

peaches

mango

mandarin oranges

First, prepare the frangipane filing. Combine the butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the ground almonds and pulse to blend. Add the cornstarch and pulse. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and almond extract. Scrape into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare the sugar cookie mix according to the directions on the package. Option to add vanilla for some extra flavor, if desired. Divide the dough among two 9" tart pans with removable bottoms. Spread evenly along the entire surface and up the sides (don't worry if it looks thin - it will puff up during baking). Bake for 10 - 13 minutes until just barely golden. Once out of the oven, use the back of a spoon to gently press in the center to create a well, while maintaining the edges. This will make room for the frangipane layer. Set aside to cool a bit. Once room temperature, divide the frangipane filling among the two par-baked tart shells and bake for 10 - 15 minutes until slightly puffed and golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool completely.

To prepare the custard, combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk for 3 - 5 minutes until thickened and smooth. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to chill and thicken up some more. Once thickened, use a offset spatula to divide the custard among the two tarts, spreading the custard over the entire surface in a smooth layer. Top with your assortment of fruit in any manner that you like. To make the glaze, heat all of the ingredients over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Once thinned, remove from the heat and use a pastry brush to glaze the entire surface of the tart. Chill the tart for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

Chocolate Strawberry Tart

I really love giving gifts. But, let me rephrase that, I really love giving heartfelt gifts. Giving a gift that's barely thought out or mindlessly chosen is not the kind of thing I'd want to impose on someone, nor would I ever want to receive it. Yes, sometimes, a hand crafted or handpicked gift is not as useful, as say, a gift card but I think it really is the thought that counts. I mean it's a popular phrase for good reason.

That's why one of my most favoritist gifts to give are baked creations. They involve time, work and love - and bonus, they make people extremely happy! It just works out perfectly for me because I love to bake and I love to try out new recipes, but for sake of not overeating myself into oblivion, I can joyously offer my goods to my friends, family, and loved ones. 

This strawberry tart is inspired by a tart I had from a lovely bakery, Zov's in Tustin. With a sugar cookie crust, chocolate mousse filling, fresh strawberry crown and chocolate ganache, this tart boasts of many decadent components. Yes, it sounds a bit frightful, but take each step one at a time, and you'll be a tart master in no time! 

I kind of over baked the tart shell slightly but it still turned out delicious. A chewy crust with impossibly smooth chocolate mousse. Ideally though, this tart would be best made in the summer, when strawberries are sweeter to contrast with the bittersweet chocolate mousse. 

Chocolate Strawberry Tart

Yields: 1 9-inch tart

Mousse recipe here.

Sugar cookie dough, store bought or homemade

Chocolate shavings, for decoration (optional)

For the chocolate mousse:

3.5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsn. water

2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

pinch of coarse salt

For the chocolate glaze:

6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 tbsn. unsalted butter

1/2 tbsn. light corn syrup

2 tsp. water

To make the mousse, combine the chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat the chocolates until it is almost completely melted, siring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool to near room temperature. In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and salt. Whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form - they should be thick and smooth. Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to chocolate and fold gently to lighten up the mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently just until no visible streaks are left. Spread onto the cooled tart shell and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Top with fresh strawberries. 

With your prepared sugar cookie dough, press the dough into a 9" or 10" tart pan (with releasable bottom). Make sure to go up the sides and that the dough is even all around the pan (about 1/2 cm thick). Bake according to package directions until golden brown all over. The dough will puff up, so while it is still hot, use the back of a large spoon to press down the center of the hot dough to make a well so that you can fill it with mousse later. Set aside to cool completely. To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is almost completely melted, but do not overheat. Remove the glaze from the water bath and set aside to finish melting, stirring once or twice until perfectly smooth.

To assemble, place your sugar cookie tart shell onto your serving plate. Pour about 1/4 cup of the glaze (just enough to cover the bottom) into the bottom of the tart shell and use a spoon to spread evenly across the bottom. Place in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Once set, spread the chocolate mousse into the tart shell, and top with hulled strawberries (tips pointing upwards). Use the remaining glaze to pour on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with chocolate shavings and allow to refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.

The strawberries are playing peek-a-boo!

Lemon Sabayon Tartlettes

These may be called 'Little Lemon Tarts' but there sure is nothing little about their flavor. Lemons are like little balls of sunshine, they bring joy to everything they take part in. That being said, it must be nice to be a lemon! And it must be even lovelier to be made into a pretty little tart and enjoyed by many. 

These lemon tarts have many counterparts, but really you could easily simplify them. The candied lemon peel and meringue are not necessary but just pretty little add-ons. But don't get me wrong though, they are delicious little add-ons! 


I really loved the lemon sabayon of this tart - it was the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The tart dough, on the other hand, was less loved. Though it was easy to make and put together, it wasn't my favorite tart dough. It shrank, which made it stumpy and thick. I made it again using a sugar cookie dough which I liked a lot more. It was nice and chewy and added a perfect sweetness. 

Lemon Sabayon Tartlettes

Yields: 1 9-inch tart or 8 - 10 mini tarts
Sabayon recipe here. Tart dough recipe from Dessert Fourplay by Johnny Iuzzini. 

For the tart dough:

3 1/2 cups flour

4 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. baking powder

12 tbsn. cold, unsalted butter (cut into pieces)

about 1 cup whole milk

For the lemon sabayon:
2 large eggs, cold

2 large egg yolks, cold

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (reserve the lemon peels)

6 tbsn. cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces


For the meringue (optional):

2 egg whites

1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar

For the candied lemon peel (optional):
reserved lemon peels
1 cup sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 cup water


To make the tart dough, put the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and pulse again until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out into a bowl and gather it into a ball. If the dough is still a bit dry, add a little more milk, tossing the dough with your fingers (you may not need all of the milk). Shape the dough into a brick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. The dough will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and for several months in the freezer. Defrost before rolling. To pre-bake, roll out the dough to fit your mini tart pans. Bake at 350 F for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. 

To make the sabayon, bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the whole eggs plus additional egg yolks and sugar for about a minute or until the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl over the pot and, using a whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add 1/3 of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another 1/3 of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 - 10 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet. Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even coloring (this will only take a few seconds, so do not leave the oven). Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. 

To make the meringue, combine the egg whites and sugar in the metal bowl of an electric mixer. Bring an inch of water to boil then place the metal bowl on top. Whisk constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, remove and place back into the electric mixer. Whisk until peaks form, about 5 - 7 minutes. To make the candied lemon peels, remove any excess white piff from the peels (this is the bitter part), then slice the peels however you'd like. Bring the water to a boil, then add the lemon peel and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the peels, add the sugar to the hot water and bring to a boil again. Toss the lemon peels back in and boil until translucent (about another 5 minutes). Drain the peels then toss them in some sugar to coat. Let them dry on a counter for about 2 - 4 hours. To assemble, spoon the lemon sabayon into the pre-baked tart shells. Pipe the meringue on top of the lemon sabayon in whatever fashion you'd like, then top with some candied lemon peels!

La Palette's (Straw)berry Tart

It's summer here where I live more than ever - the sun is beating down and the second I step outside of my oh-so-nice-and-cool-house is the second I hiss like a vampire and begin to melt into a pile of goop. Sooooooo not pretty. But do you know what is pretty? This tart!

It's possibly the epitome of summer desserts and perfect because it doesn't require much slaving over hot stoves or burning ovens. It's delightfully simple. A tart dough that practically makes itself in the food processor and doesn't require rolling! Just a simple pat, pat, pat into the tart shell and poof, that's it.

Taste wise, this tart is equally as stunning. The tart dough is lightly sweetened and buttery, sort of like a shortbread. The jam adds a sticky sweetness that's always desired and of course the fresh fruit is the real stunner. I used a combination of berries because I just happened to have them, but any combination will do. I added a little lemon cream for an extra dimension, which personifies summer even more so!

La Palette's (Straw)berry Tart

Yields: 1 9-inch tart, about 6 - 8 servings

Adapted from here.

best quality strawberry jam, or any berry jam you have on hand

1 quart ripe strawberries, trimmed and halved if large (I used mixed berries)

For the sweet tart dough:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

9 tbsn. very cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

For the lemon cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup lemon curd, store-bought or home-made

To make the tart dough, combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in, with varying pieces in size. Stir the egg yolk to break up and add it to the food processor, a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the whole yolk is in, process in long pulses until the dough begins to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a board and knead it enough to incorporate any flour that didn't get mixed in. Press the dough into a well-buttered 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit it tightly across the crust, buttered side down. Bakke for25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 8 - 10 minutes, or until the crust is evenly browned and firm to the touch. Let crust cool completely.

To make the lemon cream, whip the heavy cream using a hand mixer or a stand mixer until peaks form. Do not over beat or else it will turn into butter. Use a spatula to fold in the lemon curd and vanilla until no streaks appear, refrigerate until ready to use. To assemble the tart, spread a thin layer of jam on the crust. If your strawberries are not sweet enough, you can toss them in a little sugar, to taste, otherwise assemble them on top of the jam. The tart is best when eaten immediately after being assemble. Enjoy with lemon cream!

LOOK at that cross-section! Buttery tart shell, ooey-gooey jam, fresh fruit & refreshing lemon cream :)

Apple Frangipane Tart

Mmmm I love winter time. It's my favorite time of the year, when the air is just a bit chilly and the leaves have started to fall. Lately though, living in California, has provided little winter for me! So sad. Anyways this tart perfectly pairs with this season.

Tartlette originally makes this tart mini-sized but I decided to make one large tart for my family Christmas party. Though it does seem like there are a lot of steps, once broken apart, this tart was incredibly easy to put together. I made the crust one day and pre-baked it, then another day filled it with the frangipane and baked it, and baked and assembled the apples. This really is a gorgeous tart. It was a big hit too! The combination of honey-roasted apples and almond was just delicious! Make sure not to over bake the frangipane though, because you want it to be moist!

I arranged mine like a flower, but you can do it any other way:

I used Granny Smith Apples:

Apples and fall: the perfect combination

Apple Frangipane Tart

Yields: 8 servings

Adapted from original recipe, which can be found here.

For the sable dough:

1 stick butter, room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tbsn. cornstarch

pinch of salt

For the frangipane cream:

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup ground almond

seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp. vanilla paste or extract

2 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

For the honey roasted apples:

4 medium apples

1/2 cup honey

2 tbsn. apricot jam or orange marmalade + 1 tbsn. water, microwaved for 15 seconds (to glaze, optional)

To make the dough, in a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix briefly to incorporate. Dump the whole mixture onto a lightly floured board and gather dough into a smooth ball. Do not work dough while in mixture or it will toughen up. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. When dough is nice and cold, roll out on a lightly floured board or in between sheets of plastic. You need half the amount of dough to make the tartelettes. Other half can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen, well wrapped for 3 months. Cut out rounds with a 3 inch pastry ring. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 F for 8 - 10 minutes. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel, core and cut the apples in thin slices. Lay them on a couple of parchment paper lined baking sheets and drizzle all with honey. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until golden, let cool.

Place butter, sugar, almond powder, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add cream and stir it in instead of whisking so you don't emulsify it. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place 8 baked rounds of dough into 8 pastry rings, divide the cream evenly among the rings and bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. Let cool. Once cool, remove tarts from rings and arrange apples decoratively on top. If desired, you can glaze the tart. Enjoy!

Close up of the apples:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away: