Mazariner (Swedish Almond Tartlets)

Pastry:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a couple of times to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together egg yolk and cream. Drizzle over flour mixture, then pulse just until the dough comes together.
   NOTE: Reserve the egg white for the filling!
3. Wrap dough in cling film, then press into a patty shape about 1-inch thick. Place wrapped dough in fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Almond Filling:

1. Using a grater with large holes, grate almond paste into bowl of stand mixer. Add butter, sugar, flour, and kosher salt. Attach paddle, then beat until combined.
2. Add egg, reserved egg white, and almond extract. Mix until combined and smooth. Transfer to fridge while you form the tartlet shells.

Assembly & Baking:

1. Grease 9 wells of a muffin pan.
2. Divide dough into 9 equal pieces (about 41g each). Roll a dough piece into a ball, then place into muffin well. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. With your fingers, gently flatten each dough ball in its well. Delicately press dough into bottom and up sides of wells.
4. Transfer muffin pan to freezer to chill shells for at least 15 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 350°F.
6. Retrieve tartlet shells from freezer. Retrieve filling from fridge.
7. Pipe or spoon filling into shells, leaving ¼" to ¹/₈" gap from the filling to top of pastry shell.
8. Bake tartlets for 25 minutes or until golden on top and on the edges.
9. Transfer pan to wire rack. Allow mazariner to cool for at least 20 minutes.
10. Run a small paring knife around the edges of each tartlet. Using same small paring knife or a small offset spatula, remove tartlets from pan. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely.
    NOTE: If the tartlets seem iffy or fragile when you try to remove them, allow them to cool for longer.

Icing & Decoration:

1. Once the tartlets are totally cool, make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cream, and almond extract. You want the icing to be thick, so whisk in more confectioners’ sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) as necessary.
2. Using an offset spatula, spread icing over mazariner.
3. Decorate however you like! We used sliced almonds, wee plops of Hafi lingonberry preserves, golden sugar rods and stars, teal nonpareils, and halved Chukar Cherries maraschino cherries.
4. Allow icing to set. Place tartlets in fridge to speed this process up, if you’re impatient like us.
5. Enjoy with coffee or tea when you fika!