Chocolate Butterscotch Tartlets Recipes

CHOCOLATE LOVERS' BUTTERSCOTCH CHIFFON TART

Steps:

• Make bittersweet chocolate dough:
• Blend together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Using the metal blade in a food processor, pulse the butter and the powdered sugar together until combined. Add the flour and cocoa mixture to the food processor bowl and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and pulse until incorporated. Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap or into a plastic bag and gently knead until the dough holds together. Flatten into a 6-inch disk, cover with plastic wrap (or close plastic bag), and refrigerate for 30 minutes (until just firm enough to roll). Roll out dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle between 2 lightly floured sheets of plastic wrap. Fit dough into ungreased tart pan. Patch any holes or rips by pressing in scraps of extra dough with your fingers. Trim excess dough so that there's 1/8 inch of dough above the top edge of the tart pan (to account for shrinkage while baking). Chill for 1 hour before baking.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly prick shell all over with a fork. If using pie weights: Line shell with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry deepens in color (but does not brown), about 12 minutes. Remove parchment and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes more. If not using pie weights: Bake until pastry deepens in color (but does not brown), about 12 minutes. Check after the first 5 minutes; if center of tart puffs up, gently push down with the back of a spoon. Cool completely in the tart pan on a rack, about 20 minutes.
• Make butterscotch filling:
• Bring corn syrup, 3/4 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil mixture, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally, until it melts into a deep golden caramel, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and add butter, vinegar, and a pinch of salt, swirling pan until butter is melted. Add 1/3 cup cream and vanilla and simmer, stirring, 1 minute (sauce will be golden brown). Cool sauce to warm.
• While sauce is cooling, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften, then heat over low heat until dissolved. Stir into butterscotch sauce and cool to room temperature.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks, then add remaining tablespoon sugar and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff glossy peaks. Fold in butterscotch sauce gently but thoroughly. Beat remaining cream with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold into butterscotch mixture gently but thoroughly. Gently pour chiffon into cooled pastry shell, letting it mound, and chill, uncovered, until set, at least 2 hours.
• Make pecan topping:
• Cook pecans in butter with salt in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool nuts completely.
• Let tart stand at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle cooled nuts over top of tart.

BUTTERSCOTCH TARTLETS

Steps:

• To make the crust--In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and cut it into the dough using two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips until the dough looks crumbly. Add the egg and 1 tablespoon water; mix with a fork until the dough just holds together. (If the dough won't come together, add up to another 1-1/2 teaspoons water, a tiny bit at a time.) Don't overmix; the dough should feel slightly sticky. Shape the dough into a 6-inch log. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the chilled dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a round about 1/8-inch thick. Prick the rounds all over with a fork and gently fit them into 4-inch tartlet pans, trimming any excess dough. Line each tartlet with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the tartlet shells for about 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes until golden. Cool on a rack.;
• Combine the toasted nuts, coconut, and raisins with the warm butterscotch sauce. Divide the filling among the six tartlet shells. Bake until the filling at 400 degrees just starts to bubble, 7 to 9 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully transfer the tartlets to a rack. Allow the tartlets to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the tartlets from their pans and serve warm with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche, if you like. Yield: 6 servings;