Il Cucinologo
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Mini Pastries

17/11/2023

Mini pastries are a delicious variety of small-sized sweets, typical of Italian pastry. Being varied in taste and composition, I will offer you a classic option that you can then vary according to your tastes.

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry base:

  • 300g of 00 flour
  • 150g of cold butter cut into cubes
  • 120g of powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • A pinch of salt

For the filling and decoration:

  • Pastry cream (yellow or chocolate)
  • Chocolate ganache
  • Fresh fruit (such as strawberries or berries)
  • Gelatin for glazing the fruit
  • Chopped hazelnuts or almonds for decoration

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the shortcrust pastry: in a bowl, combine the flour and cold butter, working them with your fingertips until you obtain a sandy mixture.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, grated lemon zest and the pinch of salt, and mix briefly.
  3. Make a well in the center and add the egg and yolk, kneading quickly until you obtain a homogeneous dough.
  4. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it reaches a thickness of about 3-4 mm.
  6. Use mini pastry cutters to cut out pastry discs and line the mini tartlet molds that you have previously buttered and floured.
  7. Prick the bottom of the tartlets with a fork, then bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 10-15 minutes or until golden.
  8. Once cooled, fill the tartlets with pastry cream.
  9. Decorate with fresh fruit, then brush with a little gelatin to add shine.
  10. Alternatively, you can fill some tartlets with chocolate ganache and dust them with chopped hazelnuts or almonds.

Let the mini pastries settle for a few hours in the refrigerator before serving. These pastries are perfect to accompany an afternoon tea or as a delicious end to a meal.

Fun Fact

Mini pastries have the characteristic of being elegant “bites” that allow you to savor different flavors without overindulging in quantities. In addition, they are very popular during receptions and special occasions, as their refined presentation helps to enhance the dessert buffet.