tartlet temperature/pre-baking dilemma
I have a recipe that said nothing about pre-baking. Eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, butter and walnuts are mixed and added to tartlet shells. They're to be baked at 425 for 20-25 mins. or until pastry golden, filling soft set. I decided to lightly pre-bake 3 shells and will not pre-bake the other 3. My suspicion is that they were not to be pre-baked and that the high temperature is designed for the crust. I pre-baked, of course, cuz I feared a soggy crust. The tartlets will be on a sheet tray. I welcome any theories. I will bake the tartlets by tomorrow and will let you know what the best approach is but if someone has a lot of experience, I would prefer to heed their advice before I proceed so that I don't waste 3 tarts.
4 Comments
I think you've got the right idea. It is generally good to blind-bake (pre-bake) tart crusts as their small size means they might not otherwise be in the oven long enough for the crust to properly bake. Of course nothing beats an opinion like a good test. (And nothing beats a digital thermometer for determining when a custard is done, 170-175F.)