Ingredients
for the pastry
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
6 tablespoons (or more) ice water
for the filling (per tartlet)
1teaspoon butter
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 slice smoked salmon
finely chopped chives, to garnish
You will also need: 4 inch mini tart pans with removable bottoms
Directions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray mini-tart pans with baking spray.
Roll our pastry to approximately 1/4 inch thickness and using a salad plate as a guide, cut out rounds from the dough. Nestle into the tart shells and place in freezer for 30 minutes. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes before removing the pie weights and baking for an additional 15 minutes until golden. Cool completely in the tart shells. This can be done up to 3 days in advance (before filling with the scrambled eggs, crisp up in oven for 5 minutes).
When about ready to serve, heat up a non-stick skillet with the butter over medium-low heat. Crack and scramble eggs, with cream and salt and pepper to taste. Gently cool eggs, stirring gently. Once they are done (that depends on how you like your eggs) fill the tartlets. Garnish with smoked salmon and chives. Serve immediately.
