Double Chocolate Tartlets

Here’s a “work in progress” that’s already good, with potential to be even better. So, give it a go and feel free to adapt and improve.

These tartlets began life as a gluten free bake for a friend. The filling is simply chocolate, so no GF issues there, but I wanted a base similar to cheesecake bases, i.e. “biscuity”. In the past I’ve made GF biscuits and whizzed them for cheesecakes, but this time I decided to take a different approach, using a mixture of granular ingredients. The resultant GF base has a really nice flavour but is rather “solid”. I think I’ll try it again, without the golden syrup – unless you have any other better ideas.

Makes: 4 (maybe 5) Tartlets or one larger tart, 20cm/8”

Level: Fairly straight forward

Time: Base layer: 40 – 45 mins. Filling: 25 – 35 mins. + time to set

Need: 4 x 100cm/4½” tartlet tins, loose bottomed, ideally

Ingredients

For Gluten free experimental base

75g/2½oz polenta
75g/2½oz oatmeal
75g/2½oz ground almonds
75g/2½oz caster sugar (white or golden)
100g/3½oz butter
45g/1½oz golden syrup

For a “standard” non-GF base

300g/10oz crushed biscuits (digestives, ginger nuts etc.)
100g/3½oz butter
45g/1½oz golden syrup

For the filling

175g/6oz dark chocolate
45g/1½oz white chocolate
About 30g/1oz butter
50ml/1¾fl oz warm water + 2 – 3 star anise (optional)

NB 1 I made a water ganache rather than use cream. I only did this because we had no cream in the fridge and I didn’t want to go shopping. I’d never made a water ganache before and was pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out.

NB 2 I fancied using star anise, which I’ve never really liked. Actually, the flavour was good, but needed to be stronger.

NB 3 When I first created this recipe I made and filled five tartlet tins, but I had to make the mixture “stretch” and none was filled as much as I liked, so four is probably better.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C / fan 140°C / 325°F / gas 3. Line each of the tartlet tin bases with a circle of parchment. (NB Due to the amount of butter in the base mixture it may not really be necessary to line the tartlet tins.)

2. For a “with-gluten” version, whizz or bash the biscuits to breadcrumb size.

2GF. In a large bowl mix together the polenta, oatmeal, ground almonds and sugar.

3. In a saucepan, heat and melt the butter and golden syrup.

4. Pour the heated butter mixture onto the dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon equal amounts into each tartlet tin then use your fingers or a spoon to flatten the mixture in the tins and also to bring it up the sides.

5. Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove and cool. (If the mixture has risen while baking, use the back of a spoon to gently push it down while still warm in order to maintain enough depth for the filling.) Set aside to fully cool and firm up – leave overnight or place in fridge if you’re in a hurry.

6. Before making the filling, boil about 50ml/1¾fl oz water and drop in a the star anise, if using. Set aside to cool a little. It needs to be still warm when used later.

7. Carefully remove the tartlets from their tins and place on a rack.

8. Separately, melt the dark and the white chocolate either over bain maries or in the microwave. Stir the warm water into the dark chocolate (having removed the star anise) and the butter to create a rich ganache.

9. Spoon or pour the dark ganache into the tartlet cases then add random blobs of white chocolate. Mix with a cocktail stick to create a pleasing pattern. Leave in a cool place until set.

For many more lovely recipes click on this link.

If, like me, you’re a bit of a chocoholic here are two very chocolaty recipes that you might want to try. First my Coconut and Almond Brownies then my Chocolate and Orange Marbled Loaf Cake.