1 The secret to making a flaky tart crust is butter. Before mixing the ingredients, make sure the butter and egg yolk are refrigerated. Since these ingredients create steam once you bake the dough, the vapours create a flaky texture.
2 One of the most common mistakes people make while making the crust is kneading the dough. If you knead it like how you prepare the dough for rotis, the crust will turn out to be tough and chewy. To ensure that the tarts are crumbly, just mix to combine the ingredients.
3 Baking requires patience. So, don’t rush the chilling process of the dough. While the refrigeration process allows the gluten to relax and prevents the crust of the tarts from shrinking at a high temperature.
4 Once the crusts are baked, wait for them to cool down. Don’t add the filling to hot tarts; otherwise, the whipped cream will melt and the tarts will turn soggy.
5 To master the cream cheese filling, ensure that the heavy cream is very cold and the cream cheese is at room temperature. This will help you get stiff peaks in the whipped cream and a smooth cream cheese.