Star Wars Tartlets for Star Wars Day

Star Wars Tartlets

Happy Star Wars Day or May the 4th!! As you all already know, I’m a big nerd and lover of most Sci Fi! It doesn’t help that I married an even bigger Sci Fi nerd and so, by genetics, all our kids are heartily into Sci Fi, especially Star Wars.

Star Wars Tartlets

I don’t even know what it is about Star Wars that makes it the cult that it is. Honestly, when we go back and watch it (almost every week!) we find so many discrepancies, bad acting and just overall cheesiness! But still, we can’t stop; they are great movies and probably more than anything, for my generation, it’s a nostalgia thing.

My children have followed in our footsteps, much to Daddy’s excitement. We have Star Wars marathons, themed parties and on May the 4th, we enjoy something Star Wars-y. 

Star Wars Tartlets

Last year it was Star Wars cookies, check them out if you haven’t; they took me FOREVER to ice. The year before, I made Star Wars cake pops for Laith’s school project (and let’s not forget the recent Star Destroyer)

This year I was bit limited in my imagination. For the past 18 months, I have stopped all food colouring and that’s what you need sometimes to make themed desserts pop. There is natural food colouring available but it is expensive and you really need a lot to get the colour desired.

I had to come up with something other than Star Wars topper cupcakes. A while back, a friend of mine, knowing my obsession with Star Wars, gave me a set of pancake moulds from Williams-Sonoma. These did not work very well with pancakes but they made excellent tartlets/pop tarts.

Star Wars Tartlets

I filled the Star Wars Tartlets with Sith strawberry and Rebellion rhubarb filling. Pretty darned delicious. If you don’t like rhubarb, you can fill with just about any kind of jam. I have included my filling and there will be plenty leftover to spread on toast.

These tartlets are like hand pies but maybe share more similarities with pop tarts. Either way, they are delicious. Of course, you don’t need to make them Star Wars themed, the dough can be cut into rectangles or circles for regular tartlets.

Star Wars Tartlets Collage

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Star Wars Tartlets

Serves: 10

Calories: 3031

Fat: 146g

Sith strawberry and Rebellion rhubarb filling inside a buttery, crisp pastry.
Ingredients
  • Pastry: 2 batches needed
  • 2¼ cups/225g all purpose/plain flour
  • 1 stick/113g butter, chilled in cubes
  • 3 tablespoons organic vegetable shortening (Spectrum), cold
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon organic vinegar
  • 3-5 tablespoons cold water
Sith Strawberry and Rebellion Rhubarb Filling
  • 1lb/455g strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • 3 cups/4 large rhubarb stalks, chopped
  • ¾ cup organic brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons chia seeds
  • ¼ cup water
  • egg yolk or a tablespoon heavy cream to brush on top
Instructions
Filling
  1. In a small saucepan, add the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, salt and water and bring up to a simmer.
  2. Let the fruit break down and let simmer until thickened, about 20-25 minutes.
  3. Once the jam is thickened, check for sweetness, add more sugar if needed.
  4. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
  5. Depending on how think your jam is, add a tablespoon of chia seeds at a time.
  6. I added 2 tablespoons first, and a 3rd when I wanted the jam thicker.
  7. Remember jam will be thicker when cooled.
  8. Put in the fridge to cool completely.
Pastry
  1. While jam is chilling, make the pastry.
  2. You will need 2 batches of the pastry, one for the top part and one for the bottom.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt and sugar and pulse to mix.
  4. Add the butter cubes and the shortening.
  5. Run the processor and break up the butter to the size of peas.
  6. Add 3 tablespoons water and vinegar and process until dough starts to hold together.
  7. Check to see if the dough holds when pinched together.
  8. Add more water if it doesn't hold.
  9. Amount of water used does depend on the dryness if the flour and even the humidity in the air.
  10. Roll the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and chill for atleast 30 minutes.
  11. Repeat the process for another batch.
  12. Preheat oven to 375F/190C
  13. Once the jam and dough are chilled, time to cut out the shapes.
  14. You can make paper templates or use the Star Wars pancake moulds that I used.
  15. These are available from Williams-Sonoma.
  16. Or just cut out using a saucer or biscuit cutter to get small tartlets.
  17. If using the pancake moulds, you will get 5 shapes from each portion of dough.
  18. Roll out the dough to about ⅛-¼ inch.
  19. You may have to re roll to get all 5 shapes
  20. For the top pastry, press the moulds on the rolled pastry and allow the markings to indent the pastry.
  21. It will even make the steam vents.
  22. For the bottom crust, the indents and steam vents aren't necessary so carefully press down or just cut around the mould with a sharp knife.
  23. Once all the cut outs are done, it's time to fill.
  24. Place about a teaspoon or two in each of the bottom cut out.
  25. Place the top cut out over the filling.
  26. Press around gently but firmly to seal.
  27. Use a fork to seal the tartlet.
  28. Repeat with the other cut outs.
  29. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge to chill a few minutes.
  30. Allow to chill about 10-15 minutes.
  31. Brush the tops with an egg yolk or heavy cream
  32. Place the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for about 15 minutes.
  33. After 15 minutes move the sheet up to the centre rack position, for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  34. Allow to cool slightly on a rack.
  35. Serve warm or at room temperature as is or with ice cream.
Notes
The amounts listed for the jam filling will make quite a bit of jam. You can half the recipe to get just enough for the filling, or you can make the whole amount and store the rest in the fridge for your toast, crumble or tart.
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Star Wars Tartlets

How about you all? Do you or have you watched Star Wars? Do you go all out when May 4th comes around? Hope your weekend has been sunny and hot like ours! 

And remember, May The Force Be With You 🙂

  2. You are a very cool mom. I’ve seen these moulds but never bought them and didn’t imagine they would work well for tartlets. Love the idea!
    Needful Things recently posted..VentingMy Profile

  3. I love Star Wars! Well, the original trilogy — the last three have been meh. I have high hopes for the new one they’re filming now, though. I should make some of these to get in the mood. 😉 Good stuff — thanks.
    John@Kitchen Riffs recently posted..The Dubonnet CocktailMy Profile

  4. Way cool, Mom! When I saw the tartlets’ shapes, I knew how you got there. I gave a set of those pancake molds to my great nephew for his birthday a few years ago. Very smart move, Nazneen. Thankfully, I’ve plenty of strawberry jam about so I won’t have to worry about using rhubarb (Yuck!), if I try to make these. 🙂
    Glad to know that there are plenty of us sci-fi geeks around. 🙂
    ChgoJohn recently posted..A Tale of Two PizzasMy Profile

    • Thanks John! I remember you telling me that you gave these to your nephew. Did he he ever use them? They didn’t work well with the pancakes though. Strawberry would be just as good 🙂

  5. OMG, this is awesome! I am totally amused and impressed by the ‘kid’ in you. It is so important to have a fun side to yourself and something that is loved by the entire family. I am not a big fan of Star Wars but the ‘kid’ in me loves shapes and cookie cutters and such so I LOVE this. Wait till I show my boys…they will demand them, I know:-)
    Sugar et al recently posted..Caramelised White Chocolate DoughnutsMy Profile

  7. Oh, Nazneen! These are super cool and soooo cute! I just love that you make May 4th into such a celebration! In our family, when my kiddos were old enough to watch Star Wars, it was kind of a rite of passage (and I think maybe my husband was even more excited than my kids 😀 ). Sadly, we had a huge lacrosse tourney all day on Sunday and sort of forgot all about The Force being with us this year. Gotta do better next year, I guess! We love celebrating the oddball “holidays” – such a fun way to make even ordinary days seem special! 😀
    Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens recently posted..Easy Mexican Ravioli Lasagna (Just 5 Ingredients and No Thawing or Boiling!)My Profile

    • Thanks Shashi! Yep, I wouldn’t see it winning any awards for screenplay!!

  14. Happy Star Wars Day! These are gorgeous and so cute. Your Laith must have loved them. I adore rhubarb so the filling would be fabulous for me xx

    • These were good, Charlie! Toaster pastries with a twist and yes, Laith had 3!

  16. Watching Star Wars almost every week? Wow! Such a nice family thing to do together. I don’t know what it is about Star Wars but my son was hooked as a toddler even before he ever saw one of the movies or understood anything about it! Needless to say, he’d love these tartlets. Using the pancake molds is genius. I got a set of those (but the Halloween ones) and you are right – not good for pancakes – but clearly, really great for tartlets/hand pies. And PS – your cookies last year were amazing…a labor of love, no doubt. I can tell you I entertained the idea of making those for my son once or twice…but quickly came to reality.
    Monica recently posted..Easy “paella”My Profile

    • Thank you, Monica! I know how much you do for your little one and it won’t be long until you’ll be convinced to ice all those cookies too!!

  19. I didn’t know there was a Star Wars day but I’m not surprised in the least. You are a great mom. Not only do you make the Star Wars theme desserts, but you get creative with them and change it up each year. I’ve always been a sucker for them but I’ve never had a homemade one. Yours look sooo good!
    Mireya @myhealthyeatinghabits recently posted..Arugula, Shrimp and Watermelon SaladMy Profile

    • Thanks Mireya! I think I do it for myself more than the kids!! I’m such a sucker for SciFi stuff.

    • I am a creative nerd! I’m glad he liked them!! They are fun and were quite tasty too!

  21. Ahhh Nazneen you are so fun! I love how creative you are and I love that you don’t let your choice to no longer use food dyes limit your imagination. These are gorgeous and I bet they would be amazing with a number of fillings (I’m thinking cinnamon apple mmmmm) 🙂
    Henna recently posted..Chocolate Ice CreamMy Profile

  22. I am not even remotedly into star wars, I have to admit. Don’t kill me, but I never sat through even one movie. But I have kids who were addicted to it for a while…..we had Darth vader vs Obe wan kanobe fights galore, and my son carries a Yoda alarm clock even to his shower (claims it helps him shower in time). You are such an awesome Mom!

    Maybe one day I could bake some Iron man cakes….lol!!
    Minnie@thelady8home recently posted..Cream of wild Mushroom Soup #Ina FridaysMy Profile

    • Thanks Minnie! Two years ago I made the Marvel avenger cakelets…took me forever! But they were quite awesome!

  23. Even though I am not a sci fi nerd I do love Star Wars. I guess that it takes me back to my carefree teenage days. Bad acting and all, this movie was the first of its kind and the beginning of a new wave of special effects. These little tartlets are so cute, and I bet delicious as well. What a fun thing to do together as a family.
    Karen Harris recently posted..Authentic Hatch Green Chiles: Southwest Green Chile Strata and Garlic, Green Chile and Cheddar Mashed PotatoesMy Profile

    • Thanks SG! I’m such a nerd I forego all other holiday posts to do this one!!