Strawberry and caramelized meringue mini tarts
Scorrere verso il basso
The recipe for these strawberry and caramelized meringue mini tarts is an old family recipe. It is prepared with a shortcrust pastry shell that is filled with fresh strawberries. Everything is covered with meringue which is then baked so that it becomes caramelized. Yes, that’s right, caramelized. The color of this meringue is due to a personal choice as by raising the temperature of the oven the meringue does not become white as snow but of a golden color. This ensures that the inside of the meringue remains soft and sticky while the outside is crunchy and with a delicate aftertaste of caramelized sugar. This meringue with a tender heart together with strawberries that become soft but keep their fresh taste create a delicious and surprising dessert.
Strawberry and caramelized meringue mini tarts
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
- 250 g 00 cake flour
- 100 g cold butter
- 150 g fine white sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- vanilla extract
Caramelized meringue
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 500 g strawberries (about)
- sliced almonds optional
Instructions
Instructions strawberry and caramelized meringue mini tarts – the shortcrust pastry
- Use a blender with blades, a stand mixer with the leaf attachment or a bowl and a hand mixer.
- Place cold diced butter and sugar into the bowl of your choice. Work them at medium speed until they are blended. Add a pinch of salt and whole egg. Now add the vanilla extract. Work the butter with the eggs briefly.
- Now add sifted flour. Your pastry will be ready in seconds after the flour has been absorbed. Turn off the mixer and give it a knead with your hands. Work the dough only as strictly necessary to incorporate all the ingredients to obtain a homogeneous dough. Place it on a sheet of baking paper or plastic wrap and make it flat. Wrap it up and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Caramelized meringue instructions
- Whip the whites until stiff. Now gradually, while continuing to whip, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. The meringue must become shiny and soft as in the photo.
Preparation of mini tartlets
- Take the shortcrust pastry from the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured suface to a thickness of 5 mm. Use it to line 6 – 10 tartlet pans of 8 – 10 cm in diameter. Prick the pastry with a fork.
- I used tins with the removable bottom. If you use regular tart tins I suggest you brush them with some butter and dust them with flour. You can also create long strips of baking paper. Place two of these strips on the bottom of the tin so that they create a cross and then proceed with the creation of the mini tart. These strips will then be used to take the cake from the tin without ruining the meringue. Just take the tips of the strips with your fingers and pull them up together with the whole mini tart.
- Now fill each shell with strawberries that you have previously washed and dried. Divide each large strawberry in half and use whole strawberries if they are small.
Strawberry Tartallette – baking time
- With a spoon or a piping bag, decorate your mini tarts with the prepared meringue. If you like, add a few slices of almonds for extra crunchiness.
- Bake your cakes in a preheated static oven at 130 ° C for 50 minutes. Once the tartlets are ready, take them out of the oven and let them cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
These tartlets should be stored at room temperature covered with a cotton cloth. You can keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days. I do not recommend placing them in the refrigerator as the humidity in the fridge will soften the meringue.
lot of love. B.
p.s. If you are looking for another surprising dessert with shortcrust pastry, check out my Mascarpone and orange blossom tart (photo below).
