Quick and easy Harlequin Tartlets for Carnival. A delicious and colorful dessert suitable for this period of Carnival, but also great for children’s parties.
Beautiful to look at and very easy to prepare, they are the perfect gift made with love. You can bake them comfortably in the oven or quickly in an air fryer.
For this Carnival, I decided to turn this classic into a burst of colors: here are my Harlequin Tartlets.
Look at them: don’t they look like little confetti ready to party? The beauty of these tartlets lies in the contrast between the crunchy golden shell, the soft chocolate heart, and the crunchy note of the candies. The final touch? A light dusting of powdered sugar that unifies the colors and gives that typical festive dessert look.
Few ingredients, maximum visual impact, and that childhood flavor that instantly takes us back to being kids. Ready in just a few steps, they’ll disappear from the tray in seconds!
Makes 12/15 tartlets (about 2.5-3 inches in diameter). 20-24 mini-tartlets (bite-sized).
Each bite is a tribute to those happy afternoons and a sweetness that transcends time.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 15 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 191.79 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.18 (g) of which sugars 12.91 (g)
- Proteins 2.92 (g)
- Fat 8.85 (g) of which saturated 5.85 (g)of which unsaturated 2.84 (g)
- Fibers 0.59 (g)
- Sodium 10.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 60 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Harlequin Tartlets
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup butter (cold and cut into pieces)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- to taste lemon (vanilla extract)
- to taste Nutella®
- to taste smarties
- powdered sugar
Tools
- ceramic spheres
- pan
- air fryers
- cookie cutters
Steps
Harlequin Tartlets
In a bowl, mix the flour with sugar and baking powder. Add the butter pieces, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Work the ingredients with your hands until you get a sandy mixture.
Work with your fingers until you get a sandy mixture.
Add the whole egg, the yolk, and grated zest of an organic lemon. Knead everything until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Add the whole egg and yolk. Knead quickly until you get a smooth and fragrant dough.
Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
Roll out the dough and cut disks slightly larger than the diameter of your molds.
The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick.
Place the disks in the molds, pressing them well against the edges.
Of course, the molds should be buttered and lightly floured
Cut small circles of parchment paper and place them on top of the raw dough.
Fill the cavity with ceramic spheres (or dried legumes). This will prevent the bottom from puffing up and the edges from sliding down.
Static Oven
Temperature: 350°F.12-15 minutes (the first 10 with weights and the last 5 without).
2. Convection Oven
Temperature: Lower to 320°F 10-12 minutes. Check often: the dough is ready when golden but still pale.
Air Fryer Cooking
Set to 320°F. Cook for about 8-10 minutes.
Procedure: * Put the shells with parchment paper and ceramic spheres for the first 6-7 minutes.
Remove weights and parchment paper and continue for the last 2-3 minutes to dry the bottom well.Do not overcrowd the basket: Air must circulate freely between the molds to cook the edges evenly.
If you see the edges darkening too fast but the bottom seems still raw, move the pan to the lowest rack for the last 2 minutes of baking.
Once baked, wait until they are completely cool before unmolding them, otherwise the dough might break.
Fill with your hazelnut cream.
Add colored smarties and a final dusting of powdered sugar.
They are ready to be served! A perfect mix of technique and joy.
Enjoy your meal.
Tips
To achieve a result like mine, use molds with high edges. Once filled with cream and decorated with Smarties, dust with powdered sugar: you’ll see how the colors of the candies stand out under the white powder, creating a magical effect!
Before baking, place the formed dough shells in the molds in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Inserting the well-chilled dough into the hot oven helps maintain defined edges and perfect shape.
Adjust the dough: If you find the dough too soft while working it (perhaps because the eggs were large or the butter got too warm), feel free to add a scant tablespoon of flour. Do so sparingly to avoid compromising the characteristic friability of this recipe.
Storage
The tartlets filled with hazelnut cream keep perfectly out of the fridge, in a cool, dry place.
Use a tin box or a glass container with an airtight seal. Avoid plastic if possible, as it tends to make the dough less crunchy.
They stay great for 2-3 days.
In the fridge (Only if necessary)
If you’ve used a ricotta or custard filling, the fridge is a must.
The fridge’s cold tends to make the Smarties “sweat” (the color might run onto the cream), and the powdered sugar vanishes.
Duration: 1-2 days at most.
Curiosities
If you want them to stay crunchy for many days, brush the inside of the dough shells with a thin layer of melted chocolate (white or dark) and let it harden before adding the cream. This will isolate the dough from the filling’s moisture.
If you need to prepare them in advance for a party, the ideal would be to store the empty shells in a tin box and fill them with cream and Smarties just a few hours before serving. The empty dough shell remains crispy for 1 week.
Put the powdered sugar on just a moment before serving them, otherwise it will be absorbed by the hazelnut cream and disappear.
If the shells should soften slightly, don’t worry: they’ll still be delicious, with a texture similar to a pastry shop’s mini shortcrust pastry!
Heat the air fryer or the oven to 300°F.
Put the empty shells inside for only 2-3 minutes.
Let them cool completely in the air (preferably on a wire rack). They come out like freshly baked!
Notes
If the Nutella is a bit too stiff, filling the shells becomes difficult and you risk breaking the pastry. To achieve that smooth and shiny effect seen in pastry shops, the cream must be fluid.
Here’s how to soften it without ruining it:
1. The Water Bath (The safest method)
Place the jar (or the amount you need in a small bowl) inside a pot with warm (not boiling) water. Stir slowly until it becomes fluid.
Advantage: Even and gentle warming.
2. The Microwave (The fastest method)
Place the necessary amount in a glass or ceramic bowl.
Time: 15-20 seconds at minimum power.
Warning: Never put it in the original jar if there are still aluminum foil residues on the edge!
Fill the shell starting from the center.
Give a couple of light taps to the tartlet on the table to level the surface.
Wait a minute before adding the Smarties: if the cream is too hot, the candies might sink or lose their color quickly.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use oil instead of butter and how much?
For your recipe of 1/2 cup of butter, you will need to use:
1/2 cup of Oil (preferably sunflower or rice oil for a neutral flavor).
Unlike butter dough, oil dough doesn’t require long fridge rests because it doesn’t need to “firm up.” You can roll it out almost immediately.
If you use oil, the shell will be slightly darker and more rustic.What can I substitute hazelnut cream with?
Dark Chocolate Ganache: Melt 100g of dark chocolate with 100g of cream. It will be more intense, less sweet, and very elegant.
Pistachio Spread: For a sophisticated touch. The green color of the cream will make the “Harlequin” effect even more special with the Smarties on top.
White Chocolate Cream: Perfect if you want to highlight the colors of the candies; the white background will make them “pop” visually.
