Ghost Tartlets with Grana Padano

To make the Grana Padano ghost tartlets, start with the shortcrust pastry: pour the water and butter into a saucepan 1 and melt it over the heat 2. When it boils, add 3.5 oz (150 g) of flour all at once 3.

Quickly mix with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth and compact mixture 4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and gradually add the remaining 10.5 oz (300 g) of flour 5, kneading with your hands 6.

Continue working until you get a homogeneous dough; for convenience, you can move to the work surface 7. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator while you continue with the recipe. Coarsely chop the Grana Padano DOP into chunks 8 9 and proceed with the mousse preparation.

Pour 3.5 oz (100 g) of cream into a saucepan, add the Grana Padano DOP 10, and melt over very low heat. When it has almost completely melted, add the milk 11 and the flour 12.

Slightly increase the heat and continue stirring with a hand whisk for another 5 minutes 13. Turn off the heat and blend with an immersion blender 14, then transfer the cream to a wide, shallow container and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface 15. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

In the meantime, take the shortcrust pastry and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 0.2 inches 16. Cut the pastry with a cutter 2 inches in diameter 17 and prick the discs with a fork 18.

Now take molds with a base diameter of 1.2 inches and shape each disc on the underside 19, making sure to adhere it well to the sides 20. Place the molds with the base facing up on a baking sheet and prick the pastry with a fork 21. Bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F for 20 minutes.

While the tartlets are baking, take the Grana Padano DOP cream, add the remaining 5.3 oz (150 g) of cream, and whip the mixture with electric beaters 22. Transfer the mousse to a piping bag without a nozzle. After the baking time, remove the tartlets from the oven 23 and unmold them 24, then let them cool for 5 minutes.

Fill each tartlet with a dollop of Grana Padano DOP mousse 25, then create the eyes with sesame seeds 26. Your Grana Padano tartlets are ready to be served 27!