Whimsical Miniature French Mignardises (Printable Version)

An assortment of delicate French desserts styled as a train track, featuring choux, financiers, and berry tartlets.

# What You Need:

→ Choux Pastry

01 - 1/4 cup water
02 - 1/4 cup whole milk
03 - 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
04 - 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
05 - Pinch of salt
06 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 2 large eggs

→ Chocolate Ganache

08 - 3 1/2 oz dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), chopped
09 - 3 1/2 tbsp heavy cream

→ Mini Financiers

10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
11 - 1/3 cup almond flour
12 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
14 - Pinch of salt
15 - 2 large egg whites

→ Fruit Tartlets

16 - 3 1/2 oz sweet shortcrust pastry (pâte sucrée)
17 - 5 tbsp pastry cream
18 - 1 1/2 oz assorted fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries)

→ Decoration

19 - 2 tbsp powdered sugar (for dusting)
20 - 1 tbsp edible gold leaf or silver pearls (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add flour, and stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms. Return to heat and cook for 1–2 minutes while stirring.
03 - Transfer dough to a bowl, let cool slightly, then beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth and glossy.
04 - Pipe small rounds onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool completely.
05 - Heat heavy cream until just simmering. Pour over chopped chocolate, let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy. Cool to room temperature.
06 - Melt butter until golden brown (beurre noisette). Cool slightly. In a bowl, mix almond flour, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt. Whisk in egg whites, then fold in browned butter.
07 - Spoon batter into mini financier molds or mini muffin tins. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until golden.
08 - Roll out sweet shortcrust pastry and cut into small rounds. Press into mini tartlet molds, prick bases, and bake blind at 350°F for 10–12 minutes. Cool completely.
09 - Fill cooled tartlet shells with pastry cream and top with assorted fresh berries.
10 - Arrange choux pastries filled or dipped with ganache, mini financiers, and fruit tartlets on a platter to resemble a train track. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with edible gold leaf or silver pearls if desired.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • A creative and visually stunning dessert platter that evokes nostalgia and elegance.
  • Combines three classic French miniature pastries: choux puffs, mini financiers, and fruit tartlets.
  • Perfect for sharing at celebrations, afternoon teas, or as a centerpiece dessert.
  • Vegetarian-friendly and offers room for seasonal customization.
02 -
  • Use a piping bag with a round tip to achieve uniform choux puff sizes for a neat presentation.
  • Allow the chocolate ganache to cool properly to avoid melting the choux pastry when dipping or filling.
  • Brown the butter slowly for mini financiers to bring out the characteristic nutty flavor without burning.
  • Blind bake tartlet shells thoroughly to maintain crispness after filling with pastry cream.
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