Grape Tartlets

Grape tartlets are a delicious autumnal dessert that combines the sweetness of grapes with the crumbliness of shortcrust pastry. Here is the recipe for making grape tartlets. If you have any dietary preferences or restrictions, let me know to adapt the recipe.

Ingredients

• 250 g of type 00 flour
• 125 g of cold butter, cubed
• 100 g of icing sugar
• 1 large egg
• A pinch of salt
• Zest of 1 lemon, grated
• 1 kg of grapes (white or black, depending on preference)
• 2 tablespoons of caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by making the shortcrust pastry: in a large bowl, combine the flour and cold butter, working them with your fingertips until you have a sandy mixture.
2. Add the icing sugar, a pinch of salt, the grated lemon zest, and the egg. Knead quickly until you have a compact ball, then wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, wash and dry the grapes, removing the seeds if you prefer.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
5. Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a floured surface and use it to line tartlet molds, previously buttered and floured.
6. Prick the bottom of the tartlets with a fork and distribute the grapes evenly in each mold.
7. Sprinkle each tartlet with caster sugar and, if desired, with slivered almonds.
8. Bake the grape tartlets for about 20-25 minutes or until they become golden.
9. Once baked, let them cool before gently removing them from the molds.

Curiosity

Grapes are a very versatile fruit in cooking, not just for making wine, but also for pastry. In particular, the sweeter and less watery varieties of grapes are the best to use in these preparations. In the case of the tartlets, the grapes provide a juicy texture and a sweet taste that nicely contrasts with the crumbliness of the pastry.