Snail Tartlets Recipes

SHRIMP TARTLETS

Steps:

• Beat the first 5 ingredients until blended. Place tart shells on a serving plate. Fill with cream cheese mixture; top with cocktail sauce and shrimp., Refrigerate until serving. If desired, sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

SNAIL TARTLETS

Steps:

• Drain and rinse snails. Place in a saucepan with wine, water, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside to cool in the broth.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine flour and one teaspoon salt in a bowl or in the work bowl of a food processor. Mix with a fork or by turning the machine on and off once or twice.
• Add all but two tablespoons of the butter in small pats and blend, using a pastry blender, a fork or two knives, or by using a pulse mechanism of a food processor, until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the ice water a little at a time, mixing lightly until a ball of dough can be formed. With a food processor, add the water through the feed tube. You may need less water if you use a food processor.
• Roll out the dough and cut three-inch circles to fit tiny tartlet tins, each about one-and-three-fourths inches in diameter. Tuck pastry into the molds, prick the bottoms, then bake for about six minutes, until the pastry looks dry but has not colored. Remove pastry from oven.
• Drain snails. If they are very large, coarsely dice them.
• Melt remaining two tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add the garlic and saute over low heat until the garlic is tender but not brown.
• Add the snails and cream and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Stir in parsely and season to taste with salt. Remove from heat and stir in the milk.
• Beat the eggs. Stir into the snail mixture. Spoon this mixture into the tartlet pans, distributing the pieces of snail evenly among them.
• Place in the oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake about 20 minutes until lighly browned.
• Cool briefly then serve or prepare in advance and reheat for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven before serving.

FRESH FRUIT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Line tartlet tins with the pastry (use boat-shaped tins if you have them). Bake blind in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. When cold, brush the inside of the tartlet cases with the melted chocolate and leave to harden.
• Mix together the cream cheese and double cream until very smooth, then add the sugar and vanilla essence. Fill the tartlet cases with the cream mixture and arrange the fruit on top. Brush with the apricot or red currant glaze, depending on the fruit used, and leave to set.
• Sift the flour and salt together and rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the cheese, if using, and bind with a little cold water. Chill for 30 minutes and then roll out and use as above.

TOMATO BASIL TARTLETS

Steps:

• Special equipment: a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter
• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using the tines of a fork, prick the pastry all over. Using a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds of pastry. Place the pastry rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry rounds. Place another baking sheet directly on top of the parchment paper to keep the pastry even while baking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove the top baking sheet and the top piece of parchment paper.
• Spread 1 teaspoon of tapenade on each pastry round. Place about 1 tablespoon of cheese on top. Arrange 2 pieces of tomato on the cheese. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chopped basil on top.
• Transfer the tartlets to a platter and garnish with a pinch of fleur de sel.

CRAB AND SNOW PEA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Place pea pods and the crabmeat in a food processor, pulse just until chopped. Add the egg, mayonnaise, celery, onion and mustard. Pulse briefly, just until mixed together.
• Spoon into tart shells and chill.

SAMOA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups with 1 tablespoon butter.
• Pulse 1/4 cup coconut, flour, brown sugar, and salt together in a food processor until just-combined. Add cold butter pieces to coconut mixture and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of coconut mixture into each prepared muffin cup and press into cup to create a crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crusts are golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven, turn off oven, sprinkle chopped chocolate into each crust, and return to the oven until chocolate melts, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Divide remaining coconut between crusts. Freeze in the muffin cups until set, about 15 minutes. Gently remove each crust from the muffin cup with a thin spatula. Place a scoop of ice cream in each crust, drizzle dulce de leche over the top, and garnish with coconut.

SALLI'S CRANBERRY TARTLETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.with a rack in center. Spread all the walnuts on a baking pan. Bake until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a bowl; set aside to cool.
• Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. Brush tartlet pans with melted butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the 12 tablespoons melted butter, sugar, eggs, almond extract, and flour. Batter will be thick. Stir in cranberries and 3/4 cup toasted nuts.
• Fill each mold with 1/2 cup batter. Sprinkle each top with 1 teaspoon walnuts and amber sugar, if desired. Bake until golden and slightly crusty on top, 30 to 40 minutes. A cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack. Once cool, remove tarts from pans. These are best served within a day.