Bittersweet chocolate = everything that is right with the world.
Bittersweet Chocolate Tartlets
Recipe from GroupRecipes.com
makes (8) 4-in tartlets or about (24) 2-in mini tartlets
Crust
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup cream
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (between 50% to 60%), chopped
- 1 large egg
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Mix until just blended. The dough will be very soft and moist.
- Gently press the dough into tartlet pans. Medrich calls for (8) 4-in wide by 3/4-in deep fluted tarlet pans. I used a mini muffin tin with (24) 2-in wide by 3/4-in deep cups. Press in the dough as thinly as possible.
- Place pans in the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until the crusts are golden brown (they should be fully baked).
- While the tartlet shells are baking, heat the cream and sugar in a small saucepan to boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk together until combined.
- Whisk the egg into the chocolate mixture right before the shells are finished baking.
- Remove shells from the oven and turn off the oven. Pour the filling into the shells. Return the tartlets to the oven and leave them there for about 5 to 10 minutes, or when the filling is just beginning to set about the edges.
- Place tartlets on a wire rack to cool. If you used individual tartlet pans with removable bottoms the tartlets should be fairly easy to unmold. If you used a muffin tin like me you may have a more difficult time unmolding them, especially if the shells are very thin. If the filling has completely set, you can try placing a sheet pan across the top of tin and flipping it over to unmold them.
- Just before serving, sprinkle toppings of your choice on the tartlets, such as: cocoa nibs, chopped nuts, dried cherries, anise seed, chili powder.
