This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. These aren’t your average tartlets. They are Russian Korzinki. The crust is crumbly, soft and cookie-like. The lemon curd is so smooth and flavorful and pairs beautifully with the lightly sweetened cream. I took these to my sisters houses (sharing is my sneaky diet plan) and the tarlets were a hit across the board. P.S. You don’t need any special tartlet pans; a mini muffin/mini cupcake pan will do just fine! The first korzinki recipe I posted was nearly 4 years ago and the recipe made 108 cookies. The cookies were well loved by my readers over the years. Quite a few of you have share shared on Instagram and Facebook that you’ve made them for baby showers and parties. I have received several questions about making a smaller batch. I figured some of you would appreciate if I scaled down the recipe a bit (36 cookies is much more reasonable), and jazzed it up with a new and scrumptious filling. Make these cookies for your next party – they are fantastic!
Ingredients for Korzinki:
1 large egg, at room temperature1/3 cup sugar5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces1/8 tsp (a generous pinch) baking soda 1 Tbsp real mayonnaise1 1/3 cups+ 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour *measured correctly
Ingredients for Perfect Lemon Curd:
3 large eggs 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon) 1/2 scant cup (just under 1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice (from about 3-4 lemons) 6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces Pinch of Salt
Ingredients for Korzinki Frosting:
1 cup heavy whipping cream, very cold2 Tbsp confectioners (powdered) sugar 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
Optional Garnish:
Raspberry, mint or basil leaves
You will need:
A mini muffin pan (I used three 12-count pans and baked them all at once; quick & easy!)
How to Make Lemon Curd:
(start with the lemon curd since it needs time to cool) 1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together until smooth: 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, pinch of salt and grated lemon zest (make sure you only get the zest and not the white pith). 2. Whisk in 1/2 scant cup strained lemon juice, then add 6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) of butter pieces. Place pot over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until butter is melted and the mixture is thickened. Bring to a gentle simmer for a few seconds then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Let cool to room temp, then cover and refrigerate to thicken fully. This recipe lasts up to a week when refrigerated.
How to Make the Tartlet Crusts (Korzinki):
Pre-heat the Oven to 350˚F. 1. In the bowl of your electrix mixer, whisk together 1 egg with 1/3 cup sugar until even consistency. 2. Using the paddle attachment, add 5 1/2 Tbsp softened butter and mix on medium/high speed until creamy (3-5 min) 3. Add baking soda and mayo and mix until well blended. 4. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time and mix until well incorporated. It should be a soft cookie dough consistency when it’s done.
Use your hands to roll dough into gum-ball-sized circles of dough. If it doesn’t roll easily in your hands (i.e. if it’s really sticky) add more flour. I ended up with 36 balls of dough. Place dough into mini-muffin dishes. I used 3 (12-count) pans at a time. If your pans are non-stick, you don’t have to grease them.
Use your fingers to form a well in the dough. Make a deep well since the bottoms rise quite a bit while baking.
7. Bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes, or until edges are golden. Tip cookies onto a clean towel (mine popped right out with a gentle tap on the counter). Turn cookies right side up to cool to room temperature. They will cool faster on a wire rack.
How to Make Whipped Cream for Korzinki:
Tips on whipping cream: Freeze or refrigerate your mixing bowl and whisk attachment 10-15 minutes prior to beating cream. Keep cream refrigerated until ready to use. The colder it is, the better it whips. Also, make sure you are using HEAVY whipping cream.
- Beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form then add 2 Tbsp powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla and continue to beat on high speed until stiff and spreadable (mine took about a minute). Don’t over-beat it or it will be buttery. Refrigerate cream until ready to use.
Assembly of Korzinki:
Spoon the lemon curd over each tartlet crust (about 1 – 1/2 tsp on each one) – you can be generous; you may even have a few tablespoons left over.
You can spoon on the whipping cream or pipe it on. I used my Wilton 1M open star tip. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, or raspberries if desired and serve! Refrigerate any tartlets that don’t get eaten
Credits: Tartlets, Cream & garnish from Natasha’s Kitchen. Lemon Curd from Joy of Cooking.
Are you craving one yet?
