Lemon Appetizer Tartlet (Printable)
Crisp buttery shells with tangy lemon cream and fresh herbs
# What You’ll Need:
→ Tartlet Shells
01 - 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry (about 9 ounces)
02 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
→ Lemon Cream Filling
03 - 3.5 ounces cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
06 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
07 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Garnish
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
10 - Fresh microgreens or dill
11 - Lemon zest curls
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin or tartlet pans with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Unroll the puff pastry and cut out 12 circles using a 2.5-inch round cutter. Press each circle gently into the prepared tin, shaping to form cups.
03 - Brush the pastry cups with beaten egg. Prick the bottoms with a fork to prevent puffing during baking.
04 - Bake for 12–14 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Cool completely in the pan before carefully removing.
05 - In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy.
06 - Spoon or pipe the lemon cream filling into the cooled tartlet shells, filling just below the rim.
07 - Top each tartlet with chopped chives, microgreens or dill, and lemon zest curls. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The puff pastry shells stay shatteringly crisp even after sitting out for an hour
- These tartlets look like you spent all day but come together in under forty minutes
02 -
- Overfilling the shells before baking causes them to collapse so press the pastry in but do not stretch it thin
- The filling needs at least thirty minutes to set after piping or it will slide right off when someone takes that first bite
03 -
- Use a small round cutter or the rim of a glass for perfectly uniform pastry circles
- Chill your mixing bowl for the filling if your kitchen runs warm