Individual Chocolate Tarts Recipes

GORDON RAMSAY'S INDULGENT MINI CHOCOLATE TARTS

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Whiz the butter and sugar in a food processor until just combined. Add the egg and whiz for thirty seconds. Add the flour and process for a few seconds until the dough just comes together (add 1 tablespoon of cold water if it seems too dry). Knead lightly on a floured surface, then shape into a flat disc. Wrap in cling film and chill for thirty minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Lightly grease ten 8cm fluted loose-bottomed mini tart tins. Roll out the pastry as thinly as possible on a floured work surface and cut out 10 small discs using an 11cm fluted cutter. Line the tins with the pastry, allowing it to overhang the edges, then prick the base with a fork and rest for twenty minutes in the fridge. (They should be really firm and cold so that you can avoid having to blind bake them.)
• Bake the rested tart cases in the preheated oven for twelve minutes until golden. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess pastry, then cool the cases in their tins on a wire rack.
• While the tarts are cooking, make the peanut brittle. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper or a lightly oiled sheet of foil. Put the sugar into a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for three to four minutes and allow it to caramelise without stirring.
• Once the caramel begins to form, swirl it around the pan to ensure it colours evenly. After two to three minutes, when it's beginning to turn light brown, add the peanuts and swirl to coat.
• Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, tilting it so that the peanut mixture spreads out thinly and evenly. It should harden almost immediately.
• Set aside for about ten minutes to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache. Put the chocolate, cream, butter and sugar into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently boiling water for seven to eight minutes, stirring to combine once melted. (Taste and add a little sugar if you prefer a sweeter ganache.)
• Spoon the ganache mix into the cooled tart cases and top with broken shards of peanut brittle. Chill for twenty minutes, then serve.

INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE TARTS

Steps:

• On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a e-inch thickness and cut out 8 5-inch circles of the dough. Transfer circles to a large parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until chilled. Ease the chilled circles into 8 individual 4-inch-wide buttered tart pans; trim the edges with a paring knife. Chill.
• To make the almond cream, cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat in the sugar until smooth. Add the almond flour, rum and egg, beating well after each addition. Spoon a thin layer of the almond cream in the bottom of each chilled tart. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the tarts until the almond cream is lightly browned and the pastry is crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the pans' outer rings and cool the tart shells.
• For the chocolate filling, combine the chocolate, espresso and corn syrup in a medium bowl. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate mixture and stir gently in the same direction (do not beat), until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the butter until it is melted.
• Pour the mixture into a cup with a spout and fill the tarts to the rims. Use a knife tip to pop surface bubbles. Clean the knife and use it to cut out and lift fragments of gold leaf, and place one in the center of each tart. Let the tarts set, about 1 hour. Serve or store in an airtight tin up to 2 days.

MINI VEGAN CHOCOLATE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange phyllo cups on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place chocolate chips and coconut milk in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on Medium for 1 minute 15 seconds. Add salt and stir until smooth.
• Fill each phyllo cup with the chocolate mixture and garnish with fruit, if desired. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.