Meringue cream tartlets are a true pastry classic that evokes warm memories of festive tea parties. The secret to their popularity lies in the wonderful contrast of textures: a crisp, melt-in-your-mouth shortcrust base meets a silky buttercream layer and a cloud-like, lightly dried Italian meringue top. Interestingly, these little baskets were a hallmark of Soviet bakeries, where they were prized for their perfect balance of sweetness and the bright tartness of fruit jam. Making this dessert fills the house with the aroma of vanilla and fresh baking, creating a cozy atmosphere long before the first serving hits the table.
Tender homemade pastries with airy meringue cream make the perfect dessert for any holiday.
Dough Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) wheat flour
- 75 g (2.6 oz) butter
- 25 g (0.9 oz) milk
Meringue Cream Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 100 g (3.5 oz) sugar
- 35 g (1.2 oz) water
- 4-5 drops diluted citric acid solution
Filling and Decoration Ingredients
- 60 g (2.1 oz) butter
- 60 g (2.1 oz) sguschenka (sweetened condensed milk)
- 180 g (6.3 oz) mandarin jam
- powdered sugar
- pastry confetti sprinkles
How to Make Meringue Cream Tartlets
Measure out the wheat flour. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then add the cold milk. You can substitute the milk with water or fruit juice.
Mix the base ingredients: it is important to quickly rub the cold butter into the flour for a crumbly texture.
Quickly bring the dough together, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.
After mixing, the dough needs to rest in the refrigerator to make shaping easier.
For the tartlets, you will need metal cupcake or tartlet molds. This recipe uses traditional molds reminiscent of the Soviet era. Portion out a 40 g (1.4 oz) piece of dough, roll it out thinly, and place it into the mold.
Evenly press the dough against the sides of classic metal tartlet molds.
Press the dough firmly against the edges and trim any excess. Repeat this process to shape the remaining tartlet shells. Prick the bottoms in several places with a fork.
Make sure to prick the bottom with a fork so the shells stay flat and do not puff up in the oven.
Fill each shell with a tablespoon of dried chickpeas or beans to weigh it down. Preheat your oven to 200 °C (390 °F). Place the baking sheet with the tartlets into the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Using dried chickpeas as a weight helps achieve neat tartlets with a flat bottom.
Prepare the meringue cream. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of crystalline citric acid in two tablespoons of water to create the citric acid solution used in the cream. Pour the sugar into a saucepan and add the water. Bring the syrup to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Whip the chilled egg whites until stiff peaks form, then slowly pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl while continuing to whip. Once the meringue cream thickens and becomes fluffy, add 4-5 drops of the citric acid solution. The finished cream should be airy, glossy, and hold its shape perfectly on the whisk.
Whip the egg whites with hot syrup to stiff peaks; the cream should be glossy and stable.
Remove the chickpeas from the tartlets, take the shells out of their molds, and let them cool completely.
The golden shortcrust shells are ready. They must be cooled completely before filling with cream.
Make the buttercream with sweetened condensed milk. Whip the softened butter until light and fluffy, then gradually add the sweetened condensed milk in small portions without stopping the mixer. Pipe or spoon 20 g (0.7 oz) of this buttercream into the bottom of each tartlet shell.
Spread a rich layer of sweetened condensed milk buttercream at the bottom for a richer flavor.
Top the buttercream with fruit jam or thick fruit preserves; this recipe uses a fragrant mandarin jam.
Top the buttercream with a little thick jam to give the dessert a pleasant fruity note.
Transfer the meringue cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe approximately 25-30 g (1 oz) of cream onto each tartlet.
Use a star piping tip to create lush peaks of meringue cream.
Dust the tartlets with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh strainer.
A light dusting of powdered sugar gives the tartlets a finished, elegant look.
Decorate with pastry confetti sprinkles and leave them at room temperature so the meringue cream dries slightly and forms a delicate sugar crust.
Add some bright pastry confetti sprinkles for a festive mood.
To ensure your meringue cream tartlets turn out truly flawless, let them sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. This allows the meringue to form that signature delicate sugar crust while remaining incredibly tender inside. If you want to experiment, try swapping the mandarin preserve for a tart lemon curd or a thick cranberry jam; this adds a bright gastronomic accent to the dessert and perfectly balances the rich flavor of the cream. For a festive presentation, you can top them not only with confetti sprinkles but also with grated dark chocolate or finely chopped toasted nuts. It is best to store the finished baskets in a cool, dry place, but avoid a highly humid refrigerator, otherwise the meringue cream may lose its fluffiness and start to weep. If you are preparing the bases in advance, keep the empty tartlet shells in an airtight container where they will perfectly retain their crunch for up to two days. Serve this elegant dessert with strong black tea or aromatic black coffee to fully enjoy the rich palette of flavors these homemade pastries offer.
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