Classic Tartelette Recipe

A perfectly made tartelette, delicate, buttery shell holding a glossy lemon curd or silky chocolate ganache, is one of those desserts that looks impressive but is completely within reach. In this tartelette recipe we walk through everything: a fail-safe pâte sablée, three filling options, assembly and baking techniques, plus troubleshooting and storage tips. Whether you’re making a dozen for a dinner party or one for a weekend treat, we’ll help you get crisp shells, clean edges, and a filling that sets beautifully.

What Is a Tartelette? Quick Overview

A tartelette is a small, individual tart, usually 2½–4 inches in diameter, with the same components as a full-size tart: a shortcrust pastry shell and a flavored filling. Unlike rustic hand-formed tarts, tartelettes are typically made in fluted tartlet pans or removable-bottom rings so they come out with neat sides and an elegant profile. They’re perfect for portion control and plating and let us showcase different flavors without committing to a large cake.

We’ll focus on the classic French-style tartelette: pâte sablée (a sweet, sandy shortcrust) paired with versatile fillings, crème pâtissière, lemon curd, or chocolate ganache. Each filling requires slightly different handling, but the same core pastry works beautifully across them.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Before we start, gather everything so the process flows. Quality ingredients and the right tools make a big difference.

Key ingredients:

• All-purpose flour
• Unsalted butter (cold)
• Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• Egg yolks
• A pinch of fine salt
• Vanilla bean or extract (optional)
• Fillings ingredients (see dedicated recipes below): milk, eggs, sugar, lemon, heavy cream, chocolate, butter

Essential tools:

• Tartlet pans or removable-bottom tartlet tins (2½–4 inch)
• Food processor (optional) or pastry cutter
• Plastic wrap
• Rolling pin and bench scraper
• Parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans (for blind-baking)
• Small offset spatula and piping bag (for neat filling)
• Digital scale (recommended for accuracy)

Using a scale and cold butter ensures consistent pâte sablée. We’ll include a tool checklist and pan sizes in the H3s below for quick reference.

Step-By-Step Pastry: Perfect Pâte Sablée

Pâte sablée is richer and more tender than pâte brisée because it’s higher in sugar and often uses egg yolks. The goal is a dough that’s cohesive but still delicate, overworking develops gluten and ruins the texture.

1. Measure precisely. For about 8–10 small tartelettes: 250 g all-purpose flour, 140 g cold unsalted butter, 90 g confectioners’ sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1 pinch salt, 1 tsp vanilla.
2. Cut butter into cubes and chill. If using a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
3. Add egg yolks and vanilla, pulse just until the dough starts to come together. It should hold when squeezed: don’t form a smooth ball.
4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, press into a flat disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour (this firms the butter and hydrates the flour).
5. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut rounds slightly larger than your tartlet pans and gently press the dough into the tins, trimming the edges for clean lines.

Short tips: keep everything cold, don’t add extra flour as you roll, and prick the base lightly if you plan to blind-bake to prevent bubbles.

Preparing the Filling Options

We’ll offer three classic fillings so you can choose based on occasion.

Crème pâtissière (Classic pastry cream)

• We make a thick, vanilla-scented custard that sets when cooled. Heat whole milk with vanilla: whisk egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch: temper the yolks with hot milk, return to the stove and cook until thick. Chill with a piece of plastic directly on the surface.

Chocolate ganache

• Heat heavy cream to just below boiling, pour over chopped dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa) and let sit 1–2 minutes. Stir until glossy, then whisk in butter for sheen. Use slightly warm for easier piping: it will firm as it cools.

Lemon curd

• Whisk egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Cook gently over a bain-marie or stovetop while whisking until thickened, then pass through a sieve and stir in butter off heat for silkiness.

Each filling has different thermal and setting characteristics: pastry cream is chilled before use, ganache sets as it cools, and lemon curd can be used warm or chilled depending on your desired set.

Assembling and Baking the Tartelettes

Assembly depends on whether you’ll blind-bake shells or bake with filling.

Blind-baking (recommended for wet fillings like custard or lemon curd):

• Chill the lined pans for 15–30 minutes to reduce shrinkage.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Line shells with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake 12–18 minutes until edges are lightly golden: remove weights and bake 3–5 minutes more to dry the base. Let cool completely before filling.

If your filling can tolerate oven time (some ganaches), you can par-bake shells 8–10 minutes, then fill and finish baking very briefly. But we prefer fully blind-baked shells for predictability.

Filling and finishing: Pipe or spoon your filling into shells, avoid overfilling (leave a small rim for glazing or toppings). Chill filled tartelettes until set: pastry cream 2–3 hours, ganache 30–60 minutes, lemon curd 1–2 hours depending on thickness.

Finishing, Serving, and Storage Tips

A few finishing touches make tartelettes shine.

Glazing and garnishing:

• Shine ganache with a light brush of warmed apricot jam or a thin neutral glaze for fruit tartelettes.
• Dust powdered sugar over lemon curd tartelettes just before serving, or add whipped cream and candied lemon.
• Garnish chocolate tartelettes with flaked sea salt, gold leaf, or a curl of chocolate.

Serving:

• Bring chilled tartelettes out of the fridge 10–15 minutes before serving to let flavors open.
• Plate with a smear of coulis, a few berries, or a dollop of crème fraîche for contrast.

Storage:

• Filled tartelettes with dairy-based fillings should be refrigerated and eaten within 2–3 days.
• Unfilled shells keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days: for longer storage, freeze (see H3 below).

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Even experienced bakers hit snags. Here’s how we fix the usual suspects.

Soggy bottoms: Ensure thorough blind-baking: dock the base: bake a few minutes after removing weights to dry the interior. Brushing the shell with a thin layer of melted chocolate or an egg wash and rebaking seals pores.

Cracked crusts: Usually from overworking dough or rolling it too thin. Repair by pressing a small piece of extra dough into the crack, then chill and bake.

Shrinkage: Chill the shells thoroughly before baking and avoid overstretching the dough in the pan. If it still shrinks, try baking at a slightly lower temperature so the fat melts more slowly.

Runny filling: For custards and curds, ensure adequate cooking to reach proper thickening (pastry cream should coat the back of a spoon). For ganache, use the right chocolate-to-cream ratio, more chocolate firms faster.

Conclusion

Tartelette-making rewards a little patience: cold dough, careful blind-baking, and the right filling technique deliver restaurant-quality results at home. We’ve given you a versatile tartelette recipe and several fillings so you can mix and match. Start with the pâte sablée and one filling, then expand to combos, lemon curd topped with Italian meringue, or pastry cream finished with glazed fruit. The rest is about practice and delighting your guests.

Ingredient List for Pâte Sablée

• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 140 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 90 g confectioners’ sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Tool Checklist and Pan Sizes

• Tartlet pans (2½–4 inch) or removable-bottom rings
• Food processor or pastry cutter
• Rolling pin, parchment paper
• Pie weights or dried beans, baking sheets
• Offset spatula, piping bag, fine sieve

Tips for Making Dough Ahead and Freezing

• Dough can be wrapped and refrigerated up to 48 hours, or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
• Unfilled baked shells freeze well in airtight containers for up to 1 month, reheat briefly in a low oven before filling to refresh crispness.

Classic Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

• Heat 500 ml whole milk with a split vanilla bean. Whisk 4 egg yolks with 100 g sugar and 40 g cornstarch until pale. Temper the yolks with hot milk, return to the pan, and cook until thickened. Chill on the surface with plastic wrap.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

• Warm 200 ml heavy cream: pour over 200 g chopped dark chocolate. Let sit 1–2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Add 20 g butter for shine. Pour into shells warm or slightly cooled.

Lemon Curd Filling

• Whisk 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 150 g sugar, juice and zest of 3 lemons. Cook gently, stirring until thick. Strain and whisk in 50 g butter off heat.

Layering and Chilling Before Bake (If Needed)

• For fillings that bake briefly with shells (rare), chill shells first and par-bake 8–10 minutes. For most wet fillings, fully blind-bake and cool shells before filling.

Baking Time, Temperature, and Blind-Baking Technique

• Preheat 350°F (175°C). Blind-bake with weights 12–18 minutes, remove weights and bake 3–5 minutes more. Watch for pale golden edges.

Glazing, Garnishing, and Plating Ideas

• Apricot glaze for fruit, powdered sugar for citrus, flaky salt or cocoa nibs for chocolate. Plate with coulis or fresh herbs like mint for color contrast.

How To Store Unfilled Shells Versus Filled Tartelettes

• Unfilled shells: airtight at room temperature 2–3 days or frozen up to 1 month.
• Filled tartelettes (dairy or egg-based): refrigerated, best within 2–3 days.

Fixing Soggy Bottoms, Cracked Crusts, and Shrinkage

• Soggy bottoms: blind-bake longer, brush with chocolate or egg wash and rebake.
• Cracked crusts: patch with extra dough and chill before baking.
• Shrinkage: chill thoroughly, avoid overstretching, and consider a gentler oven temperature.

We hope this tartelette recipe inspires you to try multiple flavors and plating ideas. Once you’ve mastered pâte sablée, the rest, filling, decorating, and savoring, is the fun part. Happy baking.