Crispy shortcrust tartlets filled with chocolate buttercream and sweet-and-sour jam, adorned with vibrant sugar sprinkles—this is not just a dessert, but a true culinary classic that can turn an ordinary tea time into a celebration. The secret to the perfect flavor lies in the contrast of textures: the crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth pastry meets a dense, velvety chocolate fudge, while a thin layer of berry jam adds the necessary freshness.
Shortcrust pastry, known in Europe as 'pâte sablée,' requires careful attention to the temperature of the ingredients, which is why using ice-cold butter is the key to achieving that signature tender crumb. These charming homemade pastries are surprisingly quick to make, serving as an elegant finish to a family dinner or a vibrant centerpiece on a dessert table.
Appetizing homemade tartlets decorated with colorful dragées and sugar sprinkles.
Ingredients for the Dough
- 165 g (1 ¼ cups) wheat flour
- 50 g (¼ cup) fine white sugar
- 80 g (⅓ cup) butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- vanilla extract
Ingredients for the Filling and Decoration
- 100 g (3.5 oz) chocolate
- 50 g (3 tbsp) varyonaya sguschenka (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)
- 30 g (2 tbsp) butter
- 30 g (2 tbsp) 33% heavy cream
- 50 g (3 tbsp) jam
- sugar sprinkles
How to Make Shortcrust Pastry Tartlets with Chocolate Buttercream
Measure out the wheat flour—for the best tartlets, use high-quality pastry flour. Add the fine white sugar to the flour and whisk to combine.
Start with the dry ingredients: thoroughly mix high-quality pastry flour with fine sugar.
Keep the butter in the refrigerator right until you start making the dough! Cut the cold butter into cubes, add it to the flour and sugar, and quickly rub the mixture together with your fingers. Many pastry chefs even chill their hands under cold water beforehand so the butter doesn’t melt from their body heat.
It is crucial to use cold butter and quickly rub it into the flour so the dough remains crumbly.
Separate the egg yolk from the white and add the yolk to the dough along with the cold water, then gently knead. If the dough is too crumbly and hard to bring together, add one more tablespoon of cold water. Flavor with vanilla extract or vanilla sugar to taste.
The egg yolk and ice water will help bring the crumbs together into an elastic shortcrust dough ball.
Roll the dough out thinly on a board. I don’t flour the surface, as the buttery shortcrust dough barely sticks, but you can lightly dust the board with flour just to be safe.
Roll the dough out into a thin layer. Thanks to the butter, it hardly sticks to the surface.
Measure your metal tartlet molds, choose a thin-rimmed glass of an appropriate size, and cut out circles—the glass should be slightly wider than the molds.
Use a glass slightly wider than your molds so the dough edges cover them completely.
Place a dough circle into the mold, gently press it against the bottom and the sides, and trim any excess dough from the edges.
Gently press the dough against the bottom and sides, then trim any excess from the edges.
Prick the bottom of the tartlets with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming during baking.
Prick the bottom of each tartlet to prevent the dough from puffing up while baking.
Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F). Place the molds on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 13-14 minutes. As soon as the pastry turns golden, remove the tray.
Bake at 185°C (365°F) until golden brown. Fill the kitchen with the aroma of fresh baking!
Shortcrust pastry contains a lot of butter and won’t stick to the molds, making the tartlets easy to remove. Take them out immediately and let them cool.
Thanks to the high butter content, the tartlets easily slip out of the molds right after baking.
Over a water bath, heat the caramelized sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, and butter.
Combine the caramelized condensed milk, chocolate, and butter for a rich flavor.
Pour the warm heavy cream into the mixture and whisk until you get a thick, smooth cream with a fudge-like consistency.
Whisk the mixture until smooth. The cream should become glossy and uniform, like fudge.
Place a dessert spoon of sweet and sour berry jam into each tartlet.
A small portion of sweet and sour jam at the bottom will perfectly balance the sweetness of the chocolate.
Spoon the chocolate buttercream over the jam. If you let the cream cool slightly and transfer it to a piping bag with a nozzle, you can pipe beautiful textured peaks.
Spoon the cream in, or pipe it through a pastry bag for a more elegant look.
Decorate with chocolate dragées and colorful sprinkles.
The final touch is vibrant sprinkles, turning the dessert into a true celebration.
The shortcrust pastry tartlets with chocolate buttercream are ready to be served.
Our shortcrust pastry tartlets are ready. Bon appétit, and enjoy your tea!
To make your shortcrust tartlets with chocolate buttercream look like they came from a professional pastry shop, try experimenting with the presentation. Instead of a simple spoon, use a piping bag with a star tip—this will create a beautiful texture on the surface of the cream. As an alternative to berry jam, you can use lemon curd or salted caramel, which will give the dessert a completely new flavor profile. Serve these little pastries with fragrant tea or coffee to highlight the deep chocolate notes.
If you have leftover tart shells, they keep perfectly in an airtight container for up to a week. However, the filled tartlets are best enjoyed within a couple of days, stored in the refrigerator, to keep the cream fresh and the pastry crisp. For an extra layer of flavor, sprinkle the finished dessert with chopped toasted hazelnuts or sliced almonds—this adds a pleasant crunch and makes the presentation even more appetizing.
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