So for my first dessert recipe of 2011, I really wanted to use these little tart shells I bought at World Market (which by the way, is the most amazing little shop for baking needs, surprisingly stocked). At Sidney Street Cafe in St. Louis, I once had a similar dessert but instead it had a dry caramel filling (like the candies) and had roasted hazelnuts on top. I like chocolate, I like hazelnuts, and I like dessert! Seemed like a recipe worth trying. I decided instead of the hazelnuts on top I would incorporate nutella because I had some extra lying around and it elevated the normal chocolate flavor to a higher level.
I also recently became the proud owner of a new stand mixer!! So it was definitely a highlight for me to be able to bake like a real pro now. The second batch of my tarts were good and bad - the crust on some was a little more browned and crispy which I liked, but the banana tart burned a little because I torched it too much. Whoops. But these are great, easy desserts which can be made ahead of time and are so simple yet so eye-catching, anyone would be impressed at how you made it!
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| a friend helped me make my own caramel...from scratch! cool huh? the top one is a bruleed banana tart and the bottom ones have liquid caramel filling |
now playing: Postal Service - Give up
now drinking: 10 year old tawny port
inspired by: my desire to make the first awesome dessert of 2011
adapted from here
Ingredients for the dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
10 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter cut into chunks
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
Ingredients for the ganache:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet chips instead)
3 tablespoons nutella
1 1/2 teaspoons coffee flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
strawberries for garnish
1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter, and powdered sugar together until a coarse meal forms.
2. Mix the egg yolks, lemon juice, and water in a small bowl. Add to the food processor, and combine until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball, flatten, and then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375℉. Butter small tart pans. Break dough into pieces and form small balls, then flatten those balls on a floured work surface to be bigger than the tart pans. Fit the dough into the tart pans and trim the excess. Cool these shells for about 20 minutes. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring cream to just a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, stir until smooth and melted. Add the liqueur and vanilla, as well as the spices. Cool ganache for about 10-15 minutes. One the tart shells are cool, remove them from the pans, and fill with ganache and any other topping you would like. Enjoy!
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