Apricot Tart
This apricot tart features a shortbread shell filled with apricot jam, topped off with a tenderly soft souffle. I guarantee you’ve never had anything like this!
If you love tarts as much as I do, you’ll also appreciate this almond cream and plum tart recipe, this beautiful french almond cream and pear tart, and this stunning Tarte Tatin recipe.
Mini Tart Recipe
This mini tart recipe is a spin on a classic tart. It’s made with a shortbread cookie type crust and filled with tart jam. Then, the tarts are topped with a rich, creamy souffle topping, or what we would call in Russian, ‘Bird’s Milk’ or ptich’e moloko (ptee-chee-yeh moh-loh-koh)
My mom used to make this kind of mini tart recipe when I was a kid. She still says it’s her favorite type of tart and every year when she makes a batch of apricot jam, she says she will use it to make tarts. I don’t blame her—this mini tart recipe is fantastic!
The smaller size of these tarts makes them perfect for parties, baby showers, potlucks, and other events. This mini tart recipe always gets rave reviews and will make you look like a total pro.
If you’re doing a kids party, you can add a drop of coloring to the souffle as you’re whipping it to add a little bit of fun color to it. Or, you can add some color to the top of them as I did below. it just adds a little something extra!
How to Make Mini Tart Shells
These mini tart shells are made of the same basic tart dough that I love to use for filing with fruits, jams, custards, and meringues. It creates a tender crust that melts in your mouth once combined with the filling. The texture of these mini tart shells is much preferred to the brittle and tough version like some store-bought tart crusts can be.
You can use this mini tart shell recipe to fill with apricot jam as I do in this apricot tart recipe or fill it with any other flavored jam you like. I recommend using a jam that has a bit of tartness within it—it balances the flavor of the sweet shortbread shell.
While the tart shells are not that hard to create, the souffle, which has several components to it will need a bit of finesse on your part. But, if you’re a brave soul and wish to try it, go for it! I always try to give thorough and precise instructions for the best potential for success, so just read and follow the instructions carefully. But, if you’re not too familiar with baking and gelatin-based desserts maybe skip this one and try this simple puff pastry tart.
What is the souffle taste like?
The souffle tastes just like the most gentle, tender, and soft cloud of creaminess and fluff. It’s got a buttery note and the condensed milk just makes it oh-so-delicious.
What kind of tartlet mold to use?
Any 2.5-3 inch mini tart mold will work. But I like to use these varied in shape tart molds, or this mini aluminum tart molds.
How to Make this Apricot Tart
*For detailed recipe instructions see the recipe card bottom of the post.
Make the Mini Tart Shells
- Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs.
- Add flour and baking powder and mix together until it comes into a dough.
- Refrigerate.
- Split the dough into 2 balls. Roll each one flat.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles.
- Add the circles of dough into each mini tart mold and press in.
- Bake, cool, and fill with apricot jam.
Make the Souffle
- Whip together the butter and condensed milk.
- Create the gelatin mixture.
- Whip egg whites then add the gelatin in.
- Add buttercream and stir on low until it is firm.
- Transfer the souffle to a piping bag and top each mini tart with it.
- Place the apricot tarts in a fridge until set – about two hours.
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and with precise ingredient amounts.
Check out these other Tart recipes:
- Walnut Tartlets – Simple tartlets with a dulce de leche cream.
- Cherry Galette – Pastry tarts with cherry filling, almond flakes, and whipped cream.
- Apple Caramel Hand Pies/Tarts – Yummy apple pie desserts!
Apricot Tarts
Amazing recipe for Shortbread Tart shell filled with Plum Butter and tenderly Soft Souffle.
Ingredients
Tart Shells
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (1 stick butter = 1/2 cup)
- 6 TBSP granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk of a large egg
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Soufflé
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick butter = 8 tbsp)
- ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
- 2 tbsp water
- ¾ cups granulated sugar (divided)
- 4 egg whites (4 egg whites = 1/2 cup)
- 1/8 tsp citrus acid or 1 tbsp lemon juice
Jam
- 3/4 cup Apricot Jam or any other favorite tart jam
Instructions
How to make the Tarts
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Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 1/2 cup butter and 6 TBSP sugar until well mixed, then add 1 egg yolk and 1 egg minimally mixing after each egg.
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Add 1 ½ CUPS flour and ½ tsp baking powder and mix until the dough starts to come together. Gather the dough into a ball (it should not stick to your hands, if it does add a little bit more flour) and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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Roll it out: Divide the dough in 2. Keep the piece you're not working with covered. On a lightly floured surface or between two sheets or parchment paper roll 1 piece of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
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Cut it out: Using a cookie cutter that's 1/4 larger than your tarlet mold's diameter cut out circles. Collect the scraps between the cutouts and add them to the other piece of the dough. With a small offset spatula lift the rolled out cutouts and fit them inside the molds. Then press them in with your finger into the mold, scraping off the excess overhang.
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Bake: Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350F with the baking rack centered.
Transfer the filled tartlet molds to a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until they just start to become golden around the edges. Remove from the oven, and while wearing mittens tap the edge of each mold on a hard surface to gently knock the baked tartlets out. Doing so while they're warm helps them to come out easier. Set them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Fill each cooled tart with 1 tsp of apricot jam or any tart jam and set aside as you work on the souffle.
To make Souffle and Fill Tarts
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Whip the buttercream: Whip together the butter and condensed milk for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides often or until the mixture is nice and fluffy. Set aside.
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Gelatin mixture: Sprinkle 1 TBSP of unflavored gelatin over 2 TBSP of cold water and let sit for 2-3 minutes to bloom. Then, heat until the gelatin is dissolved (I use the microwave). Do not boil.
Next, add 1/4 cup of sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves. The mixture can be heated again to help the sugar dissolve. Do not boil. The heating can be done in either the microwave or a very small sauce pot. Keep warm.
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Whip egg whites: In a thoroughly clean and dry mixer bowl whip 4 egg whites on medium speed, slowly adding 1/2 cup sugar until the meringue is nice and fluffy, with a lustrous sheen/gloss, ~5-7 minutes. Stir in 1 TBSP of lemon juice or 1/8th tsp of citric acid.
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Add gelatin: With the mixer running, carefully pour in the warm liquid gelatin mixture between the bowl and the whip and continue whipping for about a minute until all gelatin is incorporated. Once the gelatin is added you will need to work quickly before the gelatin starts to set.
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Add buttercream: Add the buttercream into the whipping egg whites in halves, whipping after each addition until the mixture is homogenous. If the souffle is still "soupy" just continue to slowly mix it on low speed until it starts to thicken enough to be able to pipe or spoon it into the tarts. Do not walk away from this mixture as it can become too thick quickly and you will not be able to pipe or spoon it into the tarts.
Pipe or fill: Once thick enough, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe the soufle into the tarts. Alternatively, you can just use a spoon to fill the tarts.
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Transfer to a covered container (without touching the tops of the tarts) and refrigerate until the souffle is set up fully and the tarts are cold (~2 hours).
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WONDERFUL recipe!
A little time consuming to make but so worth it. The soufflé has a melt-in-your-mouth consistency and if you’re not careful, you’ll be popping them one by one into your mouth until you’ve lost count. Guilty as charged.
Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe with us, Marina!
First try last night and it was a wonderful foundation for what you have on hand. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this. Thank you!
Hello 🙂 i am fan of using raw eggs. How can I substitude it? Thank you.
I am not a fan of using raw eggs*
Hi Anna,
You can buy pasteurized egg whites in a carton and use them instead of fresh egg whites.
Hi Marina,
Thank you for all your amazing recipes. I make tartlets often and usually have to take them outside of my home to an event. I have been on a search to find a way to transfer these babies without them getting all over the place and messy. Do you have any good tips or ideas? Maby special boxes?
Thank you!
Do these souffles need to stay refrigerated until served or can they stay out at room temperature before serving 30min to 1hr.
They are best served cold, but should be fine staying out for up to 1 hour. Basically the soufflé is ptiche moloko, just like in the ptiche moloko cake,- and that cake stays out just fine.
in this sentence you wrote ” filled with tart jam and topped with meringue that is then supposed to dry in the oven. “… do you mean dry in the fridge? just want to make sure i understand the recipe right. Also in the first step of making the tartlets how long do i beat the eggs with sugar? just until mixed or a certain consistency? thanks
First sentence says this ” These tarts are a spin on a classic tart made with shortbread cookie crust, filled with tart jam and topped with meringue that is then supposed to dry in the oven.” – by which I meant that these tarts are similar, but still different from the ones dscribed in the first sentence.
These ones are filled with Birds Milk kind of souffle, but the classic are filled with dry meringue (egg whites+ sugar= whipped and then dried in the oven).
You mean the first step of making the tart dough? Usually if it says “mixed” it just means to bring everything together until well combined, not any certain consistency.
thanks for the response. I got ya!
At what temperature did you bake the shells?
350F
Marina,
I am thinking to add lime jello in the soufflé to have the green color. If I do that than I am thinking I won’t need to add the Citris acid. Is this correct? What would you recommend?
Thanks
Add the jello and taste it, if it still needs some acidity add a little bit of the citric acid, if not then just leave it as is 🙂 Hope this helps Alla 🙂
What size pack of butter or crisco are we talking about here? Sorry it might be a dumb question 🙂 I’m hoping to try making these tomorrow,they look delicious 🙂
I added an affiliate link within the post, if you click on it it will show you a picture of the one I use. Basically you just need 1 cup of crisco butter flavored shortening. Wether you use the individual packs or just scoop 1 cup from the big tub, doesn’t really matter. You can even use butter, but Crisco does produce a finer and more tender crumb. I hope your tarts turn out beautiful and delicious!
1/4 cup water is mixed with gelatin. I apologize for not being able to fix this within the recipe, due to some glitches on the website I am unable to edit the recipes at this time, but as soon as I can do it, I will add the water to the recipe.
These look absolutely delicious.
Thanks Peter!
They look absolutely delicious, I will definitely try making it soon!
Thanks Julia! Let me know how they turn out 🙂
OMG
They used to make something like this at the cafe in Ternopil! I loved it and did not know how to make it. They seemed to use cooked condensed milk and add walnuts to the plum jam. In any case you made my day!!
Hi Yuliya!
I’m pretty sure they made it with the dried meringue I described at the beginning of the post, so it’s similar but not totally the same. I might post the one you’re describing though too 🙂
Glad to be such a good influence on your day 🙂
Я ставвлю обыкновенную сырую сгущенку 🙂
Marina i was just wondering tu vareniy condensed milk dayesh or the regular?
email me:alla.fab18@yahoo.com
this is Alla Y.