Mini Chocolate Tarts

Recently I had to bake two cakes to prepare sample/tasting cakes for a bride and groom. I made a dark chocolate mudcake, and a white chocolate mudcake.  Both were filled with ganache. I wasn’t sure what to do with the left over ganache, do I freeze it and save for when I need it, or should I use it now?  I then discovered I had a large amount of frozen chocolate pastry left over from when I made that ultra decadent Chocolate Toffee Peanut-Butter Tart. So the decision to make these little tarts was decided, and I made them last night after dinner.

These were so quick and easy to put together once I’d defrosted the pastry, and they were garnished with other little bits I had in the house.  Alberto’s office staff were very appreciative of them when I delivered them this morning, just in time for morning tea!

Mini Chocolate Ganache Tarts

Pastry

• 300g plain flour
• 150g almond meal
• 150g butter
• 150g sugar
• 80g grated dark chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon rum
• pinch nutmeg & cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons cocoa

1. To make the pastry, cream butter and sugar together in an electric mixer. Add the flour, almond meal, grated chocolate, cocoa, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.  Add eggs and rum and mix until dough comes together.  Knead a little with extra flour, cover with plastic kitchen wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Although advised to grease each tart dish with butter or crisco, I didn’t bother with these mini tart tins.  Roll out pastry, use a large circle cutter to cut out pastry, gently line each tart tine and cut away excess pastry.   Use a fork to poke holes in base. Bake at 150°C for 15-20 minutes. Let cool.  The pastry cases should fall out of the mini tart tins when tipped upside down.  I just tipped them out into my hand.
3. To make the ganache, I use the same method for both. Heat cream in a non stick saucepan until simmering.  In a separate bowl,  pour over chopped chocolate, and stir until smooth with no lumps.
4. Let ganache cool, then spoon into individual pastry cases and decorate desired.  I  used pistachio, cranberries, chocolate codette & dates.