Abstract: An electrically heated tartlet press for forming pastry shells upon application of pressure and heat to a body of pastry dough seated on the bottom of a tapered well in a tart pan, comprising an enlarged tapered cylindrical head fabricated from rigid heat conductive material and having a flat bottom wall of minor diameter adapted to extend into the well, an outwardly inclined side wall of major diameter at its upper end, and a tapered flange extending radially outwardly from the inclined wall and adaptable to bear against the pan well entry and center the head when pressed into the pastry dough; an insulated shaft upstanding centrally of the head; a core of heat transmitting material within the shaft in heat conducting relation with the head; an electrical heating element within the shaft and in heat conducting relation with the core; an electrically and heat insulated handle remote from the head at the other end of the shaft; and means for transmitting electric current to and for energizing the electric heat