Tartlets, Take 2: Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tartlets

These little tartlets were the second big hit of my foray into tartlet-making a few weeks ago — and they confirm to me that putting chocolate ganache in, over, under, or around anything is a good idea. I used the same chocolate sweet pastry crust as I did for the strawberry chocolate cream tartlets, but filled these with a dark chocolate ganache to which I had added some seedless raspberry jam and Chambord. I snuggled a raspberry into the center of each, and they were off — tartlets on parade! (Parade into my mouth, that is…)

I loved these so much that I worried I would eat the whole tray if I left them in the house…so of to work with B they went. B recently informed me that they were proclaimed in the “all-time top three” of desserts to ever be consumed in his office…wow! It’s always nice to make something that I like, but to hear that other people like them too gives me a nice little glow inside.

I used my little 2-inch tartlet forms for these. Don’t they remind you of little chocolate flowers?

The ganache I used had slightly higher portion of cream to chocolate, because I wanted it to stay on the soft side when you bit into it: kind of like the inside of a chocolate truffle.

These would be really lovely, I think, as part of a wedding or baby shower, or for a special afternoon tea. Or, you could do away with pretense and just eat them straight out of the fridge. :)

Oh, and one last thought: I had a little chocolate-raspberry ganache left over, and it is really delicious heated up and poured over some ice cream, or for dipping fruit in. YUM!!!

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Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tartlets

Ingredients (for 24 2-inch tartlet shells)

For the chocolate sweet pastry:
(From Desserts by the Yard)

(I halved this recipe for 24 tartlets)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, chilled
2 cold large egg yolks
3 tbsp very cold heavy cream

For the chocolate raspberry ganache:
6 oz chopped dark chocolate
8 oz heavy cream
6 teaspoons seedless raspberry jam
3 teaspoons Chambord (raspberry flavored liqueur, optional)

24 raspberries

Directions

Make the tartlet shells:
Again, I used half the recipe listed above for 24 tartlets.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix together the flour, cocoa, and sugar on low speed for about 1 minute. Add the butter and continue to mix on medium low speed until the pieces of butter are barely visible, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat for another 30 seconds. Stream in the cold heavy cream and continue mixing until the dough comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing on low speed for 1 minute further.

If you made the full recipe, divide the dough in half. Flatten each half (or, if you made half the recipe, the entire bowl of dough) into a disk about 1/2 inch thick and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

After the dough has chilled, you can make it pliable by breaking it into pieces and placing the pieces in the bowl of your electric mixer, then beating on low speed with the dough hook until it’s workable (if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can beat it with a rolling pin. That sounds like fun, right?)

Grease your tartlet pans, then roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut out circles to fit inside the pans. Press the dough circles into the pans, making sure to press along the perimeters to get a snug fit. Chill the dough in the pans for 2 hours (or, if you get impatient like I did, stick them in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.)

Bake the tartlets for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, until they’re a dull dark brown. Puffing shouldn’t be a problem with the small pans. Remove them from the oven and let them cool in their pans; once cool, remove them from the pans to a wire rack until you’re ready to fill them.

Make the ganache:
Place your chopped chocolate in a heat-proof liquid measuring cup (I used a 4-cup Pyrex liquid measure.) Whisk the cream and raspberry jam together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until this mixture reaches a boil. Pour the hot cream mixture directly over the chocolate, and let it sit for a few minutes.

Now stir the cream and chocolate mixture swiftly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the chambord.

Assemble the tartlets:
Pour ganache into each tartlet shell until it almost reaches the top. Let these cool slightly, then place a raspberry into the center of each. You can let them set up at room temperature, or place them in an airtight container in a single layer and store them in the refrigerator.

Makes about 24 2-inch tartlets.

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