Baked cheese tarts

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Beat 75 g softened unsalted butter with 30 g powdered sugar and a pinch salt, add 25 g eggs, then sift in 150 g all-purpose flour and 10 g milk powder and mix with a flat spatula until the dough comes together. Milk powder gives the shells their signature milky aroma and a beautiful golden color when baked. The dough is ready when it is smooth, a little soft and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for about thirty minutes. Soft, buttery dough needs to be cold so you can divide it and press it into small molds without it sticking to your fingers. It is ready when it is firm enough to roll into balls.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Divide the dough into twelve equal balls, place each one in a small tart mold of about 7 cm and use your fingers to press the dough evenly up the sides, trimming off any excess above the rim. Thin, even shells bake at the same rate and keep a good balance of filling to crust. Each shell is right when it is about three millimeters thick and the sides reach the top of the mold.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Prick the bottom of each shell with a fork, set the molds on a tray and freeze for twenty minutes. Shells that are frozen firm will not slump to the bottom when they hit the heat. They are ready when they feel hard to the touch.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Preheat the oven to 180°C with a rack in the middle. Moderate heat bakes the shells golden without cracking them before the filling goes in. The oven is ready when the heating light goes off.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Bake the shells at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes; if the bottoms puff up, press them down gently with a spoon as soon as they come out, then raise the oven to 230°C. The shells are fully baked at this stage because the next bake is very short and only browns the tops. The shells are ready when they are light golden brown, dry and come out of the molds easily.

   Bake at 180°C for about 12 to 15 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Put 250 g cream cheese, 25 g unsalted butter, 60 g whole milk and 40 g powdered sugar in a saucepan, set it over a water bath or very low heat and stir well. Gentle warming melts the cheese smoothly without scorching or separating. The mixture is ready when the cheese has melted completely and is glossy and smooth with no small lumps.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Whisk 50 g eggs with 8 g cornstarch, pour it slowly into the warm cheese mixture, add 8 g lemon juice and keep stirring over low heat for another minute or two. Lightly cooking the filling thickens it just enough to pipe into mounds on the shells. The filling is ready when it is as thick as Greek yogurt and leaves a clear trail when you drag the whisk through it.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Spoon the filling into a piping bag, snip an opening about one centimeter wide and pipe it into each shell in a round mound slightly higher than the rim. A piping bag divides the filling evenly and gives a smooth, rounded top. Each tart is right when the filling covers the whole shell and rises into a gentle dome.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Beat 18 g egg yolks and brush two thin coats over the filling, waiting for the first to set slightly before adding the second. The yolk creates the signature golden, singed top when it meets the high heat. The tops are ready when they are evenly glossy orange-yellow with no drips.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Bake the tarts at 230°C for 5 to 7 minutes, staying by the oven to watch because the color changes very quickly. A short blast of high heat scorches the tops golden while the filling inside stays soft and runny. They are done when the tops have dark brown singed spots and the filling has puffed slightly.

    Bake at 230°C for about 5 to 7 minutes.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Let the tarts rest in their molds for about fifteen minutes before unmolding, then eat them warm for a molten filling or chill them for a dense, smooth one. The rest lets the shells firm up so they do not break when you take them out. They are ready when the shells release easily and the filling has settled back down flat.

    Suggested time: about 15 minutes.

    Mark step 12 as done