Warm Mocha Tart Recipes

MOCHA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make custard:
• Beat together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Heat milk in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling. Add one third of hot milk to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour remainder of milk into yolk mixture, whisking, then transfer to saucepan. Simmer, whisking constantly, until very thick, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate, liqueur, butter, and espresso powder. Let stand until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Force custard through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover surface of custard with wax paper and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.
• Make tartlet shells while custard chills:
• Pulse together flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and vanilla in a food processor until dough is smooth and begins to form a ball (it will be soft, like cookie dough). Turn out dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a ball. Flatten dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours (overnight).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Break off 1-teaspoon pieces of dough and press evenly into molds with floured fingers to form shells about 1/16 inch thick, pinching off excess from rim and making bottoms slightly thinner than sides. Arrange molds 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan and chill until dough is firm again, about 30 minutes.
• Bake in middle of oven, rotating pan halfway through baking, until pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Transfer molds to a rack to cool, then carefully remove shells from molds. Make more tartlet shells in same manner if desired.
• Assemble tartlets:
• Fill pastry bag with custard and pipe decoratively into shells.

MARBLEIZED MOCHA TART

Steps:

• Blend flour, powdered sugar and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in yolk and enough water to form moist clumps. Knead dough briefly on work surface to combine; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 16-inch round (scant 1/8 inch thick). Transfer dough to 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough into pan; trim excess. Freeze crust 15 minutes.
• Place tart pan on baking sheet. Bake crust 10 minutes; pierce with toothpick if crust bubbles. Continue to bake until crust is pale golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool crust completely.
• Stir chocolate, cream and espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan over low heat just until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth (mixture will be warm, not hot). Pour mocha ganache into prepared crust.
• Stir white chocolate and cream in heavy small saucepan over very low heat just until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Drizzle over mocha ganache. Using tip of small knife or toothpick, swirl fillings together to marbleize. Refrigerate tart until filling is cold and firm, at least 3 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Push pan bottom up to free tart from pan. Cut tart into wedges and serve.

WARM MOCHA TART

Steps:

• Special Equipment Needed: 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the tart crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the flour and mix just until well blended. Don't worry if the dough seems too soft. Press all of the dough very thinly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and cream in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture is blended and smooth and begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from the heat and stir or whisk in the espresso or coffee powder and vanilla.
• Just before the crust is ready, whisk the egg thoroughly into the hot chocolate mixture.
• Pour the filling into the hot crust and turn off the oven. Leave the tart in the oven until it quivers like tender Jell-O in the center when the pan is nudged, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.
• Chocolate Note: Either natural or Dutch-process cocoa works well here. The former has a livelier, more complex, fruity flavor, while the latter has a cozy old-fashioned flavor reminiscent of chocolate pudding.