From Claus Meyer’s kitchen to yours; these tartlets are the perfect party dish. “Pies or small cups of pastry served with stews or sweet fillings have been popular for centuries in Europe. With the birth of classic French cuisine in the 18th century, these dishes were refined with the use of puff pastry or shortcrust pastry. In the 1700s, the term “tartlets” referred only to sweet dishes, and it was not until the subsequent century that savoury recipes were introduced. Tartlets had their heyday in the 20th century, when they were served between the appetiser and main course at the great dinners of the bourgeoisie, but soon they became a beloved part of menus at festive occasions at all levels of society. As a child, I had enough margarine-based industrial tartlets to last a lifetime, so if you don’t have the opportunity to make croustades or tartlet shells using proper butter-based pastry, I would recommend toasted bread instead.” Claus Meyer. Ingredients Tartlet Shells 2 to 3 tablespoons standard canola oil 10½ oz puff pastry (defrosted if …