Chocolate Pecan Tartlets with the Best Shortbread Crust
Sneak Preview: These Chocolate Pecan Tartlets are encased with the BEST Shortbread Crust. The sweet pecan pie filling is drizzled with melted chocolate over the top for a candy-bar-like treat.
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How do you cut a piece of pecan pie for that person who wants “just a sliver?” Doing so usually makes a small mess. I know because I am that person who only wants a taste. Thankfully, portion control is automatic when you serve tartlets. They are tailor-made for parties, buffets, and holiday celebrations. (These almost always show up at our family Thanksgiving dinners.)
Leave the chocolate off if you don’t want to mess with it. However, the chocolate drizzle transforms these mini-tarts into an irresistible experience.
How to avoid a crater in your pecan tartlets:
My dad used to say, “The higher they go, the farther they fall.” He typically referred to somebody super excited about something one minute and lower than a snake soon after that. That saying reminded me of the problem I had with these little pies.
While baking, a peek into the oven showed the filling reaching for the sky. I thought all was well.
Unfortunately, as my Mini Chocolate Pecan Tarts cooled and the filling deflated, they looked like an alien had nibbled out of the middle. Of course, the same thing happens to a full-size classic pecan pie, but the effect is more pronounced in a petite tart.
Problem solved!
Just in time for Thanksgiving, I figured out a solution!!
Increasing the number of pecans provided the additional infrastructure that kept the soft filling from collapsing in the middle as it cooled.
I learned this after observing the first tart shells I filled had more pecans. Consequently, they did not deflate as severely as the tarts filled later with fewer pecans and more sweet filling.
Why silicone molds make the crust much easier:
If you have never made a tartlet crust before, they can be a little tricky for beginners.
I highly recommend you put your hands on some silicone tart molds that are individual, not connected, like muffin pans or mini muffin tins. They are much easier to manipulate.
Practice ahead of time. Tart shells can be shaped in advance and stored in the freezer to be baked the day before you need them.
If you are a visual learner, check out the picture tutorial below. You can also use commercial tart crusts if you can find them. Commercial tart sizes vary widely, so the size you buy will affect the yield of this recipe.
📌Another use for silicone molds📌:
If you have or buy these silicone molds, try putting that extra egg white(s) or egg yolk(s) in one of these molds. Then, cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
When frozen, pop the egg white into a plastic bag and store it in the freezer until needed. It beats freezing them in an ice cube tray (or saving them in the fridge where they don’t stay fresh for long.)
Place one egg white in each silicone shell. Freeze. Peel the silicone mold off the frozen egg white and store it in a zippered plastic bag in the freezer. Thaw only as many whites as you need.
How to shape shortbread tartlet crusts:
You may notice I’m wearing exam gloves. I always wear gloves when I make pie crusts or flaky biscuits. They protect the dough by providing a barrier between my body heat and the tiny flakes of butter. Of course, you can make the crusts without them but work fast so your hands won’t warm the dough.
How to make the sweet pecan filling (also good for ready-made pastry crusts):
Step 1: Preheat a conventional oven to 375˚F (180˚C).
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Step 2: Use a medium-sized saucepan to brown the butter over low heat. The butter is ready when it turns golden brown and smells fragrant. If you see black specks, the solids in the butter have started to burn. Either strain out the solids (discard) or throw the butter out and start over.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed in the recipe. Whisk gently until the mixture is silky smooth.
Step 4: Carefully fill your unbaked frozen tart shells.
Step 5: Bake until tarts are browned and set. Times will vary depending on the size of your tart shells. After baking, set the tartlets on a wire rack to cool.
How to drizzle chocolate:
Step 1: Place chocolate chips in a small zippered plastic bag. Close.
Step 2: Microwave the chips on HIGH for 1 minute, 15 seconds, or until melted.
Step 3: Snip one corner to allow a small amount of chocolate to come out when you squeeze the bag. I always practice on a plate to ensure the chocolate is melted and the hole in the bag is the right size.
Step 4: Drizzle the chocolate over the tarts and allow them to cool. The chocolate drizzle is optional but very appealing.
FAQs about chocolate pecan tartlets:
Because they have eggs in them, they should be stored in the refrigerator inside an airtight container. However, they are best served at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge a couple of hours before you plan to eat them.
Use miniature silicone tart pans. This is the best solution. If you don’t have any, try spraying your tart molds with cooking spray.
One other suggestion: Make sure there are no breaks or leaks in the tart dough that would allow the filling to leak underneath.
Use more chopped pecans to shore up the infrastructure. See a more detailed discussion of this issue in the post above.
These tartlets may be slightly jiggly when they are finished cooking but will firm up as they cool.
Yes. Double-wrap in a single layer or place parchment or waxed paper between the layers. Freeze for 1-2 months. Defrost before serving.
Closing Thoughts: Whether you call these mini-tarts, tartlets, mini pies, or small pies, they are easy to serve, fun to eat, and quite luxurious on your taste buds. My family loves them in place of a full-size pecan pie. If you like these mini pies, you might also like this these favorites: Mini Fruit Tarts Recipe with Pastry Cream and the BEST Shortbread Crust, Chocolate Ganache Mini Tarts, or these Lemon Mini-Tarts with a Shortbread Crust.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Chocolate Pecan Tartlet with the BEST Shortbread Crust
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Ingredients
Tart Crust:
- 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table or sea salt
- ½ cup butter - 1 stick, chilled
- 1 egg yolk - from a large egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or half and half
Pecan Filling
- ½ cup butter
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¾ cup corn syrup - such as Karo, not the same as high fructose corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon table or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Lemon juice from half a small lemon
- 3 eggs - mixed with a fork
- 1⅔ cup toasted pecans - coarsely chopped
- 15 unbaked and frozen tart shells
Chocolate Drizzle:
- ¼ cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Mini-tart crusts:
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Cut butter into 8 slices and add to flour, pulsing several times until mixture resembles oatmeal. Add egg yolk mixed with cream. Pulse until all ingredients are moistened. Then allow the machine to run for a few seconds until the dough starts to stick together. (Add additional drops of cream if the dough seems too dry.) Press dough into a roll like refrigerated cookie dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
- Spray molds generously with Baker's Secret or something like it. (Baker's Secret is an aerosol spray that mixes flour and oil.) If using silicone molds, no greasing is necessary.
- Slice the roll of dough into 15-16 pieces. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough between two pieces of plastic wrap into a circle slightly larger than tart molds. Press into a mold with fingers, being careful to keep the thickness consistent. Use a knife to trim off any extra at the top. I usually have enough scraps to make another tart or two. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, overnight, or up to a month.
Pecan Filling:
- Preheat oven to 375˚ F.
- Brown butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. This will take a few minutes. You don't have to stir it constantly but you must keep an eye on it. Pull off the heat when the butter starts to turn brown and gives off an amazing aroma. You'll know it when you smell it.
- Stir sugar into hot butter until it dissolves. Add corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice and stir. Then add eggs and whisk gently into the butter mixture until combined and smooth. Add pecans.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of filling into each unbaked, frozen tart shell and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake in oven at 375 degrees until browned and set. My tartlets take about 25 minutes, but time may vary depending on the size of your tarts.
Decorating with a Chocolate Drizzle (optional):
- Place 1/4 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips in a small zippered plastic bag. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute, 15 seconds, or until melted. Snip off the tiniest corner of the bag. Squeeze chocolate out of the hole over the pie in the design of your choice. If you want to squirt the leftover chocolate in your mouth, go ahead. It's our secret.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.