This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe from Baking Chez Moi was one I knew wasn’t going to fit into my (or my neighbours’) bellies after a busy weekend of baking. And knowing it was my school’s holiday market on Monday where there are always so many baked goods being shared, I didn’t think there was room in the staffroom for a giant caramel tart. So I did what I always do – minified this and sent them to Neil’s lunch room!
I made the full recipe of the dough but only used half of it to roll out and make 12 tartelettes au caramel. I used my scalloped cookie cutter set to cut tiny rounds (I used the 3″ cutter) and placed them in regular muffin tins. It’s an idea I stole from one of the recipes I’m working on for my book!
These ended up being very shallow but I liked how petite they were. When it came to filling them, I used half the caramel recipe from the book and it was perfect for the 12 tartelettes. My caramel did not set up like Dorie’s at all – though I skimmed the foam off the caramel when it was cooking, it still ended up with foam on top when it baked so I scraped it off. Then it wasn’t even in the tartelette shells – in fact it looked like lemon curd smeared on the pastry and since it was so ugly I had to sprinkle powdered sugar on top! Covers all sorts of mistakes, right?
Clearly I am going to have to make this again to get the caramel right but I am kind of in love with the mini versions – SO CUTE!
Get the recipe for Dorie Greenspan’s Caramel Tart here or on p 165 of Baking Chez Moi.
Tuesdays with Dorie participants don’t publish the recipes on our blogs, so you’re encouraged to purchase Baking Chez Moi for yourself which you can do on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store in your country) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us, baking our way through the book!
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I love your idea of making a cookie cutter cut out to line a muffin tin. How clever! My tart took an extra 10 minutes in to set up, and yes, powdered sugar will cover a multitude of sins. 😃 All the same, I’m sure no one was the wiser and everyone loved them!
Good to know re: the extra setting time for when I make it again!
Funny Mardi mentioned the lemon-curd appearance…as I was SURE they were lemon tarts when I spied them on the cooling rack!
But while they may be very light in appearance, they do have a lovely “light” caramel flavour. Meaning, don’t think of a deep, rich butter tart. I loved these, and loved the small size. The only problem was, I ate three before anyone else joined me in the canteen! Yes, they’re that good: more-ish indeed.
(Full disclosure: I finally shared, and sent the rest of the tin home with a dad for his girls. 🙂 )
I am glad you shared!
they’re darling! i made small ones, too, but a bigger than yours. loved them.
I love this size – it’s very snackable!
These minis are lovely! The caramel was not pretty in mine either but it tasted good.
Thank you so much!
What a great idea to use a cookie cutter with fluted edges – they’re so pretty!
Thanks!
Minified anything is cute, but these are especially cute! Love the icing sugar sprinkle.
Thanks! I think it’s the scalloped edges!
Can’t wait to see what you are cooking up for your book. The mini were cute. I would have Mr. Neil’s problem too, snack size equals more. I thought this tart was delicious.
Right – because they are tiny you can totally have more than one!