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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 temperature
1/3 cup sugar
5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1/8 tsp (a generous pinch) baking soda
1 Tbsp real mayonnaise
1 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 cold
2 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
1. 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:
1. 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.
2. 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.
Tartlets with Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream (Korzinki)
Ingredients
Tartlet (korzinki) ingredients:
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1/8 tsp a generous pinch baking soda
- 1 Tbsp real mayonnaise
- 1 1/3 cups+ 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Lemon Curd Ingredients:
- 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 unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- Pinch salt
Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, very cold
- 2 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
Instructions
How to Make Lemon Curd: (start with the lemon curd since it needs time to cool)
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together until smooth: 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, pinch of salt and grated lemon zest.
- Whisk in 1/2 cup strained lemon juice, then add 6 Tbsp 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 degrees F.
- In the bowl of your electrix mixer, whisk together 1 egg with 1/3 cup sugar until even consistency.
- Using the paddle attachment, add 5 1/2 Tbsp softened butter and mix on medium/high speed until creamy (3-5 min)
- Add 1/8 tsp of baking soda, 1 Tbsp of mayo and mix until well blended.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
Assembling your Tartlets:
- 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 Tbsp left over.
- You can spoon on the whipping cream or pipe it on. I used my Wilton 1M open start tip. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, or raspberries if desired and serve! Refrigerate any tartlets that don't get eaten.
Notes
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.
Are you craving one yet?
If making the lemon curd in advance, should it be covered with plastic wrap so a crust does not form?
Yes that would be a great idea!
Hi,
I am wondering if the whipped cream will bleed if I do it the day before or does the icing sugar hold it together. I have to make around 100 of these for an event and want to finish the day before. Any advice? Thanks.
It will not bleed if you refrigerate them until your event. Just make sure you whip it until the point where it’s pipe-able and not too liquidy.
Hi is it alright to leave out the mayo?: )
The mayo helps the texture of the cookies. To be honest, I’ve always made them with the mayo per the original recipe. I don’t know how it would affect the recipe to leave it out. It would have to be an experiment. You might substitute with 1/2 Tbsp oil if you do leave it out.
Would it be alright to use a regular cupcake pan to make these? Im not sure what the different is with the two pans?
A regular cupcake pan will make them about 3x larger than they should be. You really need a mini muffin tin for these. A non-stick one is best because they pop right out.
I made these for my bridge group. What a hit! I put dough in fridge
and it was easier to spread dough.Thanks! Directions were very easy to follow
I’m so glad it was a hit! 🙂 That’s awesome!
How far in advance can the tarlet shells be made?
You can make them 2-3 days in advance. I haven’t tried longer than that.
What means scant?
Barely full or almost full.
I want make this cupcakes but this lemon cream is it sour ? How can I do that it will not be sour?:) I make them tomorrow
You might just try using a jam or fruit preserves instead if you don’t like the lemon flavor. It will be much easier and will still taste great 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it 3 times within 2 weeks. 2 of those times I made the larger recipe..since I was making so many of them I decided to experiement a little.. I added about 1 1/2 cups more flour (to the large recipe) to the point where the dough could be rolled out.. Then I rolled it out and used a cookie cutter (mine looked like a 4 leaf clover) and then placed the cutouts in the mini muffin pans. WAY easier and quicker when making a couple hundred of these. I took them to church, and had them at a family dinner and received so many compliments! I filled some with lemon curd and some with strawberry jam, just AMAZING.. I wish I could post a pic!
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Your’s sound beautiful! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipe 🙂 Thanks for sharing your variations.
did it today!!! This what i was looking for. Mmmm so yummy!!!Thanks a lot!!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy you found what you were looking for 🙂
How far in advance can you make/assemble these? I’m thinking of making them for a baby shower and I was hoping to make them a day or two in advance.
You could make them a day in advance and keep them refrigerated. The best way would be to make the tartlets, lemon curd and whipped cream the day before (refrigerate the lemon curd and whipped cream and put tartlets in a plastic bag once they’ve cooled down) and assemble them before your party. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Thank you for this great recipe! Just made it today and it’s sooo good! 🙂
Yay!! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Lemon curd makes for wonderful tart filling
It sure does! 🙂
Thank so very much for another great recipe! I just love your site, I wish you gods blessings so you may continue to bring awesome recipes into our homes!!!!
Marianna your comment just made my whole day awesome! I sure appreciate your sweet words. God bless you too!
What camera do you use pictures are beautiful!!! Wow yummy can’t wait to try
Thank you so much Mila. I use a Canon 6D with a macro lens.
These tartlets are just gorgeous, love the lemon curd filling!
Thanks Laura! 🙂 the combination was just right.
Just made these! Yummy! I noticed in the recipe you said 1/3 cup of sugar for the lemon curd but in the directions 1/2 cup, so which one is it? I went with 1/3 I think it could use a little bit more sugar, other than that they are awesome. I’m planing on making these for my sisters wedding and topping them with raspberries.
Thanks so much for catching that! It is 1/3 cup sugar for 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice. It is fairly lemony but when you bite into it, the cookie and the cream kind of neutralize it and it’s just right 🙂 But, it wouldn’t hurt to add another 1-2 Tbsp of sugar if you wanted it sweeter. These would be beautiful for a wedding. Congrats to your sister! 🙂
Lemon is my weakness in life! If I didn’t have mayo in the fridge, what do you think I could substitute for it?
If that is the case, you will LOVE these! I haven’t tried substituting mayo, but it’s mostly oil, so you might add a 1/2 Tbsp oil. But I haven’t tried making that change so I’m not sure of the change it will make in texture and flavor. If you can get a small container of mayo, I’d suggest going that route (or if you have a nice neighbor, maybe borrow a tablespoon :)).
These are darling, Natasha! I really love your dedication to our Slavic food! You are the perfect ambassador. Pinning, of course. 🙂
Hi Julia! Thanks so much 🙂 your comment will make my hubby very happy too. He’s always encouraging me to post Russian and Ukrainian foods 🙂
Thank you for the nice recipe. Have a great weekend!
You are welcome Liz, blessings to you as well :).