Mini tarts are to pies as cupcakes are to cakes. They are miniature individual portions of their larger kin, and more easily portable. So portable that, why, you can even carry a wrapped one in your shirt pocket, not that you would want to, but you could. These caramel tarts are made even more convenient by their boat-like shape, in that each could be consumed in two to three bites.
I used the Basic Pie Crust recipe for the pastry shell and a super simple easy recipe-to-make the caramel filling. Just mix all four ingredients; the condensed milk, cheddar cheese, egg yolks and vanilla, and set aside.
Roll the pastry dough as you would pie dough, then cut it into smaller shapes to fit over mini tart molds. Once you press the dough into the tart mold you can cleanly remove the excess by rolling your rolling pin right over the surface.
Remove the excess pastry dough. This can be re-rolled later with other scraps of dough.
Spoon the caramel filling into the tart molds and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Remove half-baked tarts from oven and set aside to cool. Meantime, make the meringue topping.
Whip 3 egg whites that have been brought to room temperature with ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Make sure your bowl and wire whip are completely devoid of any kind of fat or oil residue, or the egg whites won’t whip to full volume.
Gradually add ½ cup sugar and whip until stiff peaks, which is when the egg whites are glossy, and can hold a stiff, upright peak without drooping.
Transfer the meringue into a piping bag with a small star tip. Pipe the meringue on each tart in swirls, squiggly lines, or any kind of design. Return the tarts to the oven and bake again at a low temperature of 200 F for 50 – 55 minutes or until meringue is stiff and baked.
I had more meringue than I needed to garnish the tarts, so I just swirled the extra with a large star tip onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and baked it together with the tarts. So I had two cookie sheets in the oven, one with the tarts and the other with the meringue swirls.
Once baked, remove from the oven and place on cooling racks.
I actually made these tarts last September, but yet again I just couldn’t get around to posting them right away, what with, first and foremost, the family, rushing to work, then rushing from work to ballet class at night, then rushing from ballet back home, weekend errands, weekend baking, etc., etc. Sigh! I need more time, but don’t we all?
Then I made this batch two weeks later.
- 1 basic pie crust recipe
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 can condensed milk
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Roll the pastry to about ⅛ inch thickness. Slice to fit tart molds. Press rolling pin on each tart mold to easily remove excess pastry.
- Whisk all filling ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Spoon the filling into the pastry shells.
- Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven when done and set aside.
- Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites.
- Start at low to medium speed then gradually increase to high speed.
- Start adding the sugar gradually and continue whipping until stiff peaks.
- Transfer meringue into a piping bag with a star tip (or whatever preferred tip you choose) and pipe designs on top of each tart.
- Return the tarts to the oven and bake at low temperature of 200 F for 50 - 55 minutes or until meringue is stiff and baked.
- Extra meringue can be baked together with the tarts in a separate cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pipe the meringue in any kind of swirl design.
- Remove from oven and place on cooling racks. Turn out tarts from the tart molds after about 5 - 7 minutes.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container, or keep it under a cake dome.
Caramel Tarts – Tutorial
We call this in the Philippines Boat Tarts. I have been looking for the recipe for a long time. I think this is the closest to the one I would eat at home.
Will try and bake this later Thanks!
Also the directions say to bake the tart then put on the meringue and bake again, but that seems like it would over brown the crust. Did you bake the meringues separately and then add to the tarts?
Hi Linda,
I half baked the tarts first then piped the meringue directly on the tarts, then baked the tarts again at a very low temperature until the meringue was stiff. Actually, you don’t really need the meringue to top the tarts. You can just bake the tarts until brown and they will be delicious as is. Thanks for the note!
Do you remember what the oblong tart pans are named? Sur la Table had some that look simliar, but I’m not sure it’s the same.
Hi Linda,
Yes, those would work.
Hi! I guess it’s ok to add chopped cashews to this? Thanks, I’m so going to try this.
Hi! Yes, I would think so. I’ve never tried it that way. I would chop the cashews finely, but that’s just me. If you get a chance, let me know how it turns and let me know how much nuts you added. I might want to try it myself. 🙂
Hi! I guess it’s ok to add chopped cashews to this? Thanks, I’m so going to try this.