088 / 100 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites

Mini Mushroom and Swiss Tartlets

12 mini tartlets Active 30 min Total 1 hr 5 min

A standard muffin tin turns puff pastry into small cups for browned mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and a spoonful of egg custard. The filling is deliberately modest so the pastry has room to rise around it. Cooking the mushrooms first removes their water and gives them a deeper flavor than they would develop inside the little shells alone. These tartlets work as two-bite starters or as a light lunch beside a salad. Let them cool briefly in the tin, then lift them onto a rack to keep the bases from steaming.

Jump to the ingredients

Golden mini mushroom and Swiss tartlets in crisp puff-pastry cups.

Treat the pastry gently

Thawed puff pastry should still feel cool when you unfold it. If it becomes soft and oily, return it to the refrigerator briefly before cutting. Roll only enough to reach the listed square, then cut with a sharp knife rather than dragging a blunt edge through the layers. The corners can rise above the muffin cups; their uneven points become pleasantly crisp. Lightly pressing the centers into the tin is enough, without stretching the pastry tightly.

Make a dry mushroom filling

The mushrooms need to sizzle and brown before the custard is added. Their volume shrinks substantially, which is why a seemingly large amount fits in twelve small cups. Cool the cooked mixture for a few minutes so it does not warm the pastry on contact. Divide the mushrooms and cheese first, then pour in the custard, keeping it below the pastry rim. A set center and well-colored pastry base tell you more than a browned top alone.

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, about 14 ounces (400 g), thawed but cold
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (14 g), plus a little for the tin
  • 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped (285 g)
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped (35 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk (80 ml)
  • 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (75 g)
  • A little all-purpose flour for rolling

Set out

Standard 12-cup muffin tin, Large skillet, Rolling pin, Measuring jug and whisk, Wire rack

Allergens

Wheat, milk, egg. Check ingredient labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Lightly butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
  2. Melt the tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7–9 minutes, until their liquid has evaporated and they begin to brown. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the thyme and salt, then cool for 5 minutes.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the cold pastry to a 12-by-12-inch square. Cut into twelve rectangles, each 3 by 4 inches. Press one into each muffin cup, allowing the corners to stand above the rim.
  4. Divide the mushroom mixture and Swiss cheese among the cups. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a jug and divide among the tartlets, stopping below the pastry rims.
  5. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the custard is set, reaching 160°F/71°C in the center.
  6. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift carefully onto a rack. Serve warm.

A useful detail

If your pastry is sold as two smaller sheets, use a total of about 14 ounces (400 g) and roll each to a 6-by-12-inch rectangle before cutting six pieces.

Make it your own

  • Use Gruyere instead of Swiss cheese.
  • Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley to the cooled mushrooms before filling the pastry.

Keep it well

Refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or colder for up to 3 days. Reheat on a tray at 350°F/175°C to 165°F/74°C. Check puff pastry labels for soy if relevant.