Chocolate Tarts Filled with Chocolate Ganache

Do you like chocolate?

If so, you will drop dead for these.

Makes: 2-3 medium sized tarts

Takes About: 2 hours (most the time for cooling)

Difficulty: 2 out of 5

Prep:

Butter, very well, 2-3 medium sized tart dishes and set aside.

Ingredients:

- Tart Shell

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup powdered sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter - super cold and cubed

1 large egg yolk (you will not be using the egg white in the recipe)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Ganache

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

4 ounces milk chocolate

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

- Optional

Pistachios

Strawberries

Mango

Kiwi

Other fruit

Instruction:

- Step 1 - Mix Dry Ingredients

In a food processor, mix together the 3/4 cup of flour, 1/8 cup of unsweetened cocoa, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 cup of powdered sugar until mixed together.

- Step 2 - Add the Remaining Ingredients for the Tart

Add the 5 tablespoons of cubed butter, the 1 large egg yolk, and the 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the food processor and mix until it just comes together.

You should be able to pinch the dough together.

If it does not stick together when pinched, add 1/2 teaspoon of butter to the mixture until it comes together. If it still does not come together, add a little more butter until it does.

Again, only mix until it can be pinch together, do not add too much butter because it should not leak while it bakes.

- Step 3 - Press the Dough Together and Refrigerate

Dump the batter onto the counter and press it together.

It may feel extremely dry, but do not add water or any other liquids.

The dough will feel very crumbly, that is okay. Wrap it up and toss it into the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

- Step 4 - Make Ganache - But First, Grind Chocolate

While the dough is resting, start the ganache by tossing all the chocolate into a food processor.

Grind!

It does not have to be a powder, just grind it until there are only small chunks left.

Toss chunks into a shallow bowl and set aside.

- Step 5 - Warm Milk

Place the 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream into a small pot and heat it until hot, not boiling.

Be sure not to let the heavy whipping cream scorch, so mix is constantly.

- Step 6 - Mix the Chocolate and Heavy Whipping Cream

Once the milk is hot, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for about 1 minute. This will help the chocolate melt.

After the chocolate and milk has rested for a few moments, mix until a ganache is formed.

Once mixed, set aside until it reaches room temperature.

- Step 7 - Make the Tart Shells

Once the dough has rested in the fridge, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

The dough itself will be crumbly, just press it into the bottom and up the sides of the tart shells until they are about 1/8 inch thick (about 3 millimeters).

- Step 8 - Bake!

Place the tart shells onto a baking sheet and place them into the oven to bake for about 12 minutes.

They will turn a light brown color and could possibly puff up. If they do puff up, just leave it, they will shrink back down.

- Step 9 - Remove the Tart Shells from Form

Let the tarts cool completely before trying to take them out of the molds. If you try it before, you will break the shells and there is no way of fixing that.

Once cooled, carefully pop them out of the mold.

If you have buttered them well, they should pop right of the molds with no issues.

- Step 10 - Add the Ganache

The ganache should be cooled by now, if it is not, let it rest until it is.

Once it is cooled, spoon (or pipe) the ganache into the mods carefully until completely full.

By using a spoon, the ganache can by pushed out to the sides and smoothed out as well.

- Step 11 - Add Toppings

Add the crushed pistachios and the sliced fruit to the tops of the tarts.

Be sure that the fruits are not super juicy, it could cause your ganache to break (separate).

- Step 12 - Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit's Mini Chocolate Tarts with Pistachio Halvah and Sesame Salt.