No Dominican party is complete without tarticos. These mini pies are a very versatile and inexpensive appetizer. Make your party or juntadera a total success with our fabulous Dominican mini pies for every taste and budget. I'll show you how to make tarticos at home.
Why we ❤️ it
These crunchy mini pie crusts are filled with sweet and savory fillings and decorated simply or with a lot of flair. Learn how to make this Dominican recipe for tarticos, baking the shell at home, and ideas for sweet and savory fillings.
First of all, the most important part of this recipe is the tarticos, as they are known in our country. These can usually be bought ready-made at the supermarket, are a very versatile option for parties and gatherings, and can be completed with sweet and savory fillings.
What are tarticos?
Tarticos are mini pie crusts served with sweet and savory fillings, hot or cold. They can usually be purchased at the supermarket in packets to fill at home.
Serving suggestions
Tarticos are perfect for a simple picadera, or something more sophisticated. You can make them in one flavor, or in a variety of flavors. You can make them sweet or savory to serve with coffee or in a picadera.
Other options that go well with mini pies are Sanduchon (savory sandwich cake), another spectacular party food. Pastelitos or empanaditas also go very well. Croquetas (croquettes) and ripe plantain and cheese balls are great choices too.
And don't forget to check out our Dominican drinks to see what to pair them with.
Tarticos (mini pies).
Mini pie fillings
There are many options for filling tarticos, the combinations are almost endless, but here are some fillings that are already in our recipe collection for you to experiment with. I recommend these in particular:
- With lambí filling
- With creamy chicken filling
- With spicy chicken in tomato sauce filling
- With vegan filling
- With crabmeat filling
- With guava filling
- With pineapple jam filling
- With dulce de leche filling
- With ricotta and dulce en almíbar filling
- With pizza filling (in recipe)
- With Serrano ham filling (in the recipe)
About this recipe
For a long time I have been receiving emails and messages from our readers asking about how to prepare the tarts. After a couple of trials, the third time I found the recipe that worked and tastes the best.
I can already imagine making these more often.
Enjoy!
Recipe
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Tarticos (Sweet and Savory Mini Pies)
Ingredients
For the mini pie shells
- ¼ stick salted butter, [28 grams] at room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, [120 grams]
- 6 tablespoons milk, (whole or skim)
For the pizza filling
- ½ cup pizza sauce, from a jar or can
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
For the ham filling
- 6 tablespoons cream cheese, [84 gr] at room temperature
- 6 ounces Serrano ham, [170 gr] thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
- 6 leaves fresh basil, for decoration
Instructions
For the mini pie shells
- Heat the oven to 150 ºC [300 ºF].
- Mix the butter with the flour and milk with your fingertips until lumps form. Squeeze and knead lightly to make a ball. Do not knead more than strictly necessary.Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
With a rolling pin, roll out the dough and cut into 3.5-inch [9-centimeter] circles. Place the circles on the back of a mini muffin tin.Place a tray over the bottom of the pan (to keep the bottom of the cupcakes flat).- Bake for 10 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight plastic bag in a dry place. Use within one day, or refrigerate for up to one week.
To fill with pizza
- Fill each tartico with a spoonful of mozzarella, followed by a spoonful of sauce, and another spoonful of mozzarella on top.
- Place on a tray and bake in a preheated oven at 150 ºC [300 ºF] until the cheese melts.Remove from oven and serve immediately.
To fill with ham paste
- Mix cream cheese with ham (save three slices for later) and pepper. Blend in food processor until it becomes a thick paste.
- Fill the tarts with the ham mixture and garnish with strips of reserved ham and basil leaves .
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until serving time.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Published Nov 2, 2012, revised
