Eat | Chocolate candy cane mini tarts

Yum, yum, yum...yup these were pretty delicious. Mint and chocolate would have to be one of my favourite flavour combinations. These tasty little morsels are small enough so you don't overdose and big enough so you feel like you've had a sneaky little treat. Amazingly these tarts aren't overly sweet- I think using the semisweet chocolate pastry really helps to keep the sweetness down.

These little tarts really aren't too difficult to make and the pastry is actually quite forgiving. They would keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week. If you didn't want to make mini tarts, you could make one large chocolate candy cane tart.

I'm pretty please with how these turned out. It was a bit of a risk. Look at those swirls! Just like a real candy cane. The tip is not to overmix the food colouring. Just place a few drops in and give it maybe 1 stir with the spoon and the rest will happen when you pour it into the pastry cases.

Would you like to make some of these to have with your morning tea?

For the tart dough:

105g (3.75 ounces/ 1/2 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

35g (1.25 ounces) brown sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

125g (4.5 ounces) butter, room temperature

3 egg yolks

255g (9 ounces) plain/all purpose flour, sifted

50g (1.75 ounces) cocoa powder, sifted

For rolling: 15g (0.5oz) cocoa powder + 15g (0.5oz) icing/powdered sugar sifted together

 

For the chocolate ganache filling:

300g (10.5 oz) good quality white chocolate, chopped

300ml (1 1/4 cup) thickened cream

About 1/2 tsp peppermint essence, adjust to taste (this was more than enough foe me- add a little less if you are not a huge mint fan)

 

150g (5.25 oz) good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

150ml (about 2/3 cup) thickened cream

Red food colouring 

crushed candy canes to decorate

 

1. With a mixer, combine sugars, vanilla extract, salt and butter on medium speed. Mix until ingredients are just combined.

2. Add egg yolks one at a time.

3. Add in the flour and cocoa powder all at once and mix until it just starts to some together.

4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate about 15 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350° F). Turn a muffin tin upside down and liberally grease the outside of the tin. You may need to do every alternate one, just depends on the space you have between each muffin case. (You could make 1 large 22" tart case)

6. Dust the counter with the prepared cocoa/powdered sugar mixture. Don't use flour, it will toughen the dough and change the colour of the chocolate.

7. Roll to 0.75cm (1/3") thickness. Using a large circle cookie cutter,  cut out cirlces. Carefully set dough over the upside down muffin tin. Use your thumbs to press the dough into the corners of the pan. Using your thumb, press together any cracks.

8. Bake for 20 minutes (it is ready when the dough is firm and dry to touch). Cool in tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack. You may need a sharp knife to carefully lift off the pastry shells.

Ganache filling

1. Prepare the white chocolate filling first; place chocolate in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Place 300ml cream in a small saucepan and gently heat until it just comes to the boil.

3. Pour over white chocolate and leave for 5 minutes to melt.

4. Use a whisk to combine until smooth, then gradually add about 1/2 tsp peppermint essence to taste. 5. Add about 5-6 drops of food colouring in several different spots on the surface of the ganache (Try not to over stir or the colour will just mix in and turn it pink. Much of the swirling effect happens when you pour it into the pastry shells.

6. Carefully pour into pastry shells- remembering to leave room for the next layer of chocolate.

7. Place tarts in the fridge for at least an hour or until set.

 

 

For chocolate topping

1. Place bittersweet chocolate in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Place 150ml cream in a small saucepan and gently heat until it just comes to the boil.

3. Pour over bittersweet chocolate and leave for 5 minutes to melt.

4. Use a whisk to combine until smooth, gently pour over the tart to cover the white chocolate layer, using a spatula to smooth the surface.

5. Sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces over the top and chill in the fridge until set.

6. Remove from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.

 

And this is my last recipe for the year....any thoughts for things for next year?

 

In the Red Brolly shop

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Comments

[Esperanza]

Hummmmm un volcán de sabores!!
Gracias Bronwyn, se ven deliciosos!!!!!!

Hummmmm a volcanic flavors!
Thanks Bronwyn, look delicious!!

[Elaine]

Bronwyn, you share the best things! Thanks so much; I would like to make these during the holiday. What is thickened cream? Might it be like whipping cream or is it heavy cream, do you know? Or, Devonshire Cream?
Thanks for giving the US equivalents for the measurements, that is so very thoughtful.

[Ideologi]

Hummmmm a volcanic flavors!
Thanks Bronwyn, look delicious!!..

[Pengertian]

Hummmmm a volcanic flavors!
Thanks Bronwyn, look delicious!!....