Tartelettes Marquise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Eight 3-inch (7.5 cm) fluted metal tartlet molds
• •Heavy rimmed sheet pan
• •Piping bag with a ⅓-inch (8 mm) plain tip
• •1-quart (1-liter) saucepan
• •Rolling pin

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the pâte brisée

   Combine the flour and salt, then rub in the cold butter until the mixture holds broad flakes among the fine crumbs. Stir in the yolk and 1½ tablespoons of ice water, pressing rather than kneading, until the dough just holds together. If dry cracks remain, add the final water a teaspoon at a time; if the dough feels sticky, chill it instead of burying it in more flour. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.

   Visible flakes of butter are useful. They melt in the fierce oven and leave the pastry crisp; working them completely smooth makes the shell firm and dull.
2. 2

   Build the Mornay

   Reserve 1 tablespoon of the milk. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook the pale roux for 90 seconds without coloring it. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the remaining milk gradually, making each addition smooth before the next. Return to medium heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking, until the sauce coats the whisk heavily. Stir in the cream, then remove from the heat and add half the divided Gruyère, all the Parmesan, the cayenne, salt, and white pepper. If lumps appear, strain the sauce into a clean bowl. Ça se rattrape. Press parchment directly onto its surface and let it cool until barely warm.

   The cayenne should leave warmth at the end of the mouth, not turn the filling fiery. Do not omit it; that small point of heat keeps the cheese and cream from tasting flat.
3. 3

   Make the appareil

   Bring the milk, butter, salt, and nutmeg to a full boil in the cleaned saucepan. Remove it from the heat, add the flour all at once, and beat firmly with a wooden spoon. Return to medium heat and work the paste for 1 to 2 minutes, until it gathers into a ball and leaves a thin film on the pan. Cool for 2 minutes. Beat in the egg in three additions, stopping when the appareil is glossy, holds its shape, and falls from the spoon in a heavy point; it may not need every drop. Fold in the Gruyère. If it is too stiff to pipe, add another teaspoon of egg. If it has become slack, chill it for 10 minutes and do not add raw flour.

4. 4

   Line and chill

   Butter eight 3-inch (7.5 cm) fluted metal tartlet molds lightly. Roll the pâte brisée on a floured surface to a scant ⅛ inch (2 mm), cut eight rounds about 4 inches (10 cm) wide, and settle them into the molds without stretching. Press the pastry into the flutes, trim the rims cleanly, and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place a heavy rimmed sheet pan on the lower-middle rack and heat the oven to 450°F (230°C), or 425°F (220°C) with convection, for a full 30 minutes. Do not blind-bake the shells; the source calls for one fierce bake, and the heated metal sheet is the home oven's answer.

5. 5

   Pipe and fill

   Fit a piping bag with an even ⅓-inch (8 mm) plain tip, the domestic equivalent of a pipe whose opening is the diameter of macaroni. Fill it with the appareil. Pipe a continuous close spiral over the bottom of each pastry shell, then carry the thread around the sides in a single ring against the pastry. Whisk the cooled Mornay smooth; if it has tightened too much, loosen it with the reserved milk a teaspoon at a time. Spoon the sauce into the lined shells just below their rims and cover evenly with the remaining Gruyère.

6. 6

   Bake fiercely

   Set the molds directly on the thoroughly heated sheet and bake without opening the oven for the first 10 minutes. Continue for 6 to 10 minutes more, until the pastry rims are deep butter-gold, the appareil has puffed, and the cheese is blistered bronze with the Mornay bubbling at the edges. If the tops color before the pastry is crisp, move the sheet one rack lower and lay foil loosely over the tartlets after the cheese has bronzed.

7. 7

   Unmold and serve

   Rest the tartlets in their molds for 5 minutes, just long enough for the fillings to settle. Run the tip of a thin knife around any escaped cheese, lift the tartlets out, and serve two per person while the pastry is still crisp and the Mornay soft. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use metal tartlet molds, not silicone. Thin metal passes the oven's fierce heat straight into the pastry base, while silicone insulates it and encourages softness.
• •Gruyère supplies the clean melt, while Parmesan gives the Mornay its sharper backbone. Grate both yourself; bagged grated cheese is dry on the surface and melts reluctantly.
• •The piped appareil must remain a distinct thread. Smearing it into a thick solid layer makes the tartlets heavy and leaves too little room for the Mornay.
• •Serve with dry Champagne or Crémant de Bourgogne. The bubbles and acidity clear the butter and cheese neatly, and these tartlets need no fussy accompaniment.

Advance Preparation

• •The pâte brisée can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling if it has become very firm.
• •The sauce Mornay can be made 1 day ahead with parchment pressed onto its surface. Warm it just enough to whisk smooth, loosening it with a teaspoon of milk if necessary.
• •The appareil can be held in its piping bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. Assemble the tartlets no more than 30 minutes before baking, or the sauce will begin softening the raw pastry.
• •Leftover tartlets keep covered and chilled for 1 day. Reheat them on a hot metal sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 6 to 8 minutes; a microwave softens the pastry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 175g)