Saffron milk cap (Lactarius deliciosus) tartlets

These saffron milk caps (Lactarius delicious) puff pastry tartlets are something you’ll want to make every autumn.

The more I know about Lactarius deliciosus, the more I am sure they are one of the most underrated mushrooms in the world. There was never a day when I’d be looking for mushrooms and not bringing home some of these orange-colored beauties.

Saffron milk caps have been eaten in many ways, but making them with puff pastry is absolutely perfect when you need a quick dinner that gives your autumn days a delicious, unique flavor.

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The not-so-well-known facts about Lactarius deliciosus

The mushroom was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, and at the time, it was called Agaricus deliciosus. Only later, it was evidenced as Lactarius deliciosus in 1821 by a British mycologist, Samuel Frederick Gray.  

Its name points out the orange milk and the deliciousness of the little mushroom that was obviously well-recognized even centuries ago.

Foraging saffron milk caps has been practiced throughout history; not only did the Spanish and Portuguese fry them in their pans, but also Germans cooked them in soups, and the Slavs salted their saffron milk caps and ate them raw with bread and vodka.

Lactarius deliciosus is famous for various recipes and can even be seen in the oldest known mushroom fresco from the 1st century in the ancient town of Herculaneum.

Some sources mention that the saffron milk cap’s complex of minerals and vitamins is so balanced that only two mushrooms eaten weekly will restore these levels in your body.

And things don’t end there. Lactarius deliciosus seems to be an exceptionally researched mushroom even today. The Chinese have reported that saffron milk caps show antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-hyperglycemic activities. They shined as a potential anti-cancer agent in Poland, and they even proved themselves as anti-aging mushrooms.

Why you’ll like this tartlet recipe

• It’s super easy to find these mushrooms, and by that, I mean lots of them.

• You won’t believe how easy and fast preparing this delicious mushroom snack is. And it’s done with only a few essential ingredients.

• Sometimes, I think it’s a pity to spoil the beautiful gifts of nature with something like puff pastry. But the truth is, these crispy tarts smell so tempting and taste so delightful that they will make you forget about all those healthy lifestyle principles in a second.

• Just like saffron milk cap pâté and our black trumpet mushroom jam, they make an excellent appetizer. Quickly sauteed saffron milk caps baked in these cute little cups can easily replace the time-consuming process of creating a mushroom pizza, pasta or risotto.
• Unlike super tasty breaded saffron milk caps, this recipe is perfect for days when you bring home some Lactarius deliciosus mushrooms and don’t have much time to cook.
• Plus, they’re incredibly adaptable. You can replace saffron milk caps with any other kind of mushroom following the same process or mix in any other yummy ingredient you have at hand.

Ingredients you’ll need

PUFF PASTRY – I used a premade puff pastry sheet in this recipe. While I totally agree that homemade puff pastry would be better, buying puff pastry is okay if there’s not much time as long as the dough is willing to roll in a tight log.

You might want to check out our delicious brie and pear bites, berry tarts and cinnamon pinwheels made with puff pastry sheets.

SAFFRON MILK CAPS (Lactarius deliciosus) – The recipe works best with freshly harvested mushrooms. Do not worry about the green color the mushrooms show after picking them; they are entirely edible and will not be seen when fried and baked.

If you are buying them on the market, be careful to buy only healthy and fresh mushrooms.

CHEESE – I used an ordinary piece of gouda cheese from the supermarket in the recipe. You can replace it with any cheese that goes well with garlic, like provolone or Emmental. The recipe works great with goat cheese and brie, too.

You can sprinkle them with grated parmesan or grana padano cheese when baked.

SOUR CREAM – You need just a few small teaspoons of sour cream. If you don’t have it at home, you can easily skip it or even better, replace it with cream cheese.

GARLIC – Crush or slice your garlic cloves as you prefer to be sauteed with the mushrooms. A few teaspoons of wild garlic pesto would be a perfect addition to this recipe.

OLIVE OIL – You’ll see the best results with cold-pressed organic olive oil, which you will use to fry the mushrooms and garlic.

FRESH PARSLEY – Sprinkled on baked tartlets, fresh parsley adds freshness to the sauce and a nice green pop.

SEASONING – I used only salt and black pepper in this recipe because I didn’t want to overpower the taste of the milk cap mushrooms. However, a spoonful of dried chives or a pinch of thyme might work some magic!

Step-by-step recipe instructions

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 392°F/200°C.

STEP 2: If you’re making these tartlets with a sheet of puff pastry, roll the sheet into a tight log about 0.7 inches (2 cm) thick. Mark it first using a knife and then split it into twelve 1-inch slices.

The procedure when using puff pastry dough is pretty much the same, although you can shape your dough into a square and then divide it into 12 equal pieces.

STEP 3: Place each piece into a muffin tin, gently pressing it to the bottom of the cup. Then, evenly press it up on the sides of the muffin cups so that the dough reaches halfway to the top of the cups.

STEP 4: Place the tin back in the refrigerator while you prepare your mushroom filling so the puff pastry is firm and chilled before going into the oven.

Remember, puff pastry contains a lot of butter, and it needs to be cold before baking to create that crunchy puff.

PREPARE YOUR MUSHROOMS

STEP 5: Clean and slice the mushrooms into smaller pieces and cut or crush the garlic. We often use a simple garlic crusher, which proved to be the simplest solution for an incurable garlic addict like me.

STEP 6: Dice your cheese into small cubes, which you will later easily be able to mix with mushrooms.

STEP 7: Heat olive oil in a frying pan and add sliced saffron milk caps. Add a pinch of salt and saute for ten minutes, stirring often.

STEP 8: After about three minutes, add crushed garlic to the pan and cook the mushrooms until they shrink and start to look brown.

STEP 9: Right before they are done, add black pepper and any additional seasoning you choose. By this time, the mushrooms should have already been sauteed enough to release all the water contained.

STEP 10: When done, transfer the mixture to a bowl and add diced cheese and chopped parsley. Mix it all well so that the ingredients are evenly combined.

ASSEMBLE THE TARTLETS

STEP 11: Fill the cups with mushroom filling. Be careful not to overload, as the cheese will melt and stick to the muffin tin surface, making it harder to remove the tartlets when baked.

STEP 12: Lastly, add a small drop of sour cream on top of each tartlet.

BAKE IN THE OVEN

STEP 13: Bake at 392°F/200°C for about twelve minutes until the cheese fully melts and the tartlets look golden, crunchy and yummy!

STEP 14: When done, sprinkle with fresh parsley and a little parmesan or grana padano cheese and serve your deliciosus mushroom cups while still warm.

They taste even better than they look! Bon Appetit!

Tips for perfect saffron milk cap tartlets

• Use only fresh, healthy-looking, and quality saffron milk caps. If you pick the mushrooms yourself, ensure they reach the cooking pan as quickly as possible, preferably right after you bring them home.
• Do not store the unused Lactarius delicious mushrooms in the fridge for over 24 hours.

• When foraging saffron milk caps, cut the mushrooms rather than pulling them out. Cleaning them out in the forest makes cooking a lot quicker and easier.

• Handle the freshly collected Lactarius deliciousus as gently as possible and with great care. Although they are undoubtedly edible, the orange milk on the mushroom’s surface will turn green when bruised.

• Puff pastry should be chilled before baking. The layers are created by folding butter into the dough multiple times, forming very thin, alternating layers of butter and dough. When the pastry is cold, the butter layers stay solid rather than melting into the dough prematurely. This makes all the magic: as the pastry bakes, the water content in the butter turns to steam, lifting and separating the dough layers, creating a light, puffy, and crispy structure.
• If you are using frozen puff pastry, it’s best to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.

• The mushrooms should be well-sauteed before assembling the tartlets to ensure they are not overly watery.

Storage and reheating

Saffron milk caps can be stored, dried, or blanched and frozen. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. However, their taste will not remain the same, and after freezing, they become bitter.

You can freeze your saffron milk cap tarts prepared in advance, considering you’ve topped them with sauteed mushrooms.

To freeze them, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. When frozen and solid, repack them in an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then bake them directly in a preheated oven.

It’s best to serve your freshly baked tartlets while still hot.

Use them the same day, and do not reheat them. The proteins in the mushrooms start breaking down right after you slice them or when you leave them at room temperature. Reheating them at high temperatures or storing them longer than 24 hours might cause mild digestive problems.

FAQ

Mushroom recipes you might like

Black trumpet mushroom jam

Pear potato soup with black trumpets

Breaded saffron milk caps

Saffron milk cap mushroom pâté

Bulgur risotto with chanterelle mushrooms

Pizza with porcini mushrooms

Creamy mushroom rice with porcini

Tagliatelle ai funghi porcini

Puff pastry recipes

Fruit tarts with puff pastry

Brie and pear puff pastry bites

Puff pastry cinnamon pinwheels

Our saffron milk cap tartlets were featured at Angie’s Fiesta Friday and Miz Helen’s country cottage.