The mini tarts with quick mascarpone cream are very delicious and simple treats, perfect to offer on any occasion.
A shortcrust pastry base filled with a creamy filling of mascarpone cream and assorted flavors, these are delightful single-serving desserts that will be appreciated by everyone and can be offered at the end of a meal.
I have prepared them and added them to the Christmas desserts, not everyone likes traditional leavened desserts, and these mini tarts were much appreciated. You can also prepare them for New Year’s or any other occasion.
The mini tarts with mascarpone cream are very quick to prepare, apart from the shortcrust pastry, the cream does not require cooking.
You can prepare everything the day before and fill them just before serving.
TRY THESE VARIATIONS TOO
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8-10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, All seasons
Ingredients for Mini Tarts with Quick Mascarpone Cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg (large)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 orange zest (grated)
- 9 oz mascarpone
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons hazelnut cream
- as needed hazelnuts
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 10 Molds
- Oven
- Bowl
- 1 Electric Whisk
- 1 Piping Bag
Preparation for Mini Tarts with Quick Mascarpone Cream
To prepare the mini tarts, start with the base, so first make the shortcrust pastry.
The dough can be made by hand in a bowl or with a simple food processor or stand mixer.In the bowl of the stand mixer or a regular bowl, put the sugar with the slightly softened butter in pieces, work the ingredients for a few minutes using speed 2, add the egg, the grated orange zest, and then the sifted flour and baking powder.
Work the dough quickly and mix the ingredients well. Pour it onto a work surface, compact the dough by hand, form a ball and place it in the fridge to rest for about 15-20 minutes.
FILLING
In the meantime, prepare the filling of mascarpone cream and various flavored creams:
simple white flavor with candied orange, unsweetened cocoa flavor, and hazelnut flavor.
The procedure for the cream can be found here.Retrieve the shortcrust pastry from the fridge, and with the help of a rolling pin, roll it out on a sheet of parchment paper into a disk about 0.4 inches thick.
Line the molds with parchment paper, place the pastry over them, trim off excess dough, and prick the bottom with a fork.
BAKING
Bake the empty mini tarts in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) on a fan setting for about 15-18 minutes. You can adjust according to your oven’s temperature, remove them when they’re well-cooked and golden.
Let the pastry shells cool completely, then fill them with mascarpone cream using a piping bag.Store and serve the mini tarts from the fridge when needed.
You can always keep the cream in the fridge and fill them a few minutes before serving.
Decorate the mini tarts with chocolate glaze, a dusting of unsweetened cocoa, hazelnuts, and sprinkles.
Tips and Variations
You can also fill the mini tarts with different creams according to your taste.
They can be stored in the fridge covered for about 2 days.
For a greater crispness of the pastry, you can keep only the cream in the fridge and fill them before serving.
