Painted Chocolate Fruit Tartlets Recipes

CHOCOLATE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 5 (4 1/2-inch) tartlet pans with nonstick spray.
• Divide the cookie dough into 5 equal-sized balls. Press each dough ball into the tartlet pans; making sure it covers the sides and bottoms. Put the pans on a cookie sheet and bake until golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool completely. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.
• Put the chopped chocolate into a bowl. Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan over low heat. Bring the cream up to a low simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Stir or whisk the chocolate and cream until smooth and melted. Stir in the corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the beaten egg. Ladle the filling into the cooled tart shells and bake until the filling is set and the surface is glossy, about 15 to18 minutes. Remove the tartlets from the oven and let cool. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings and serve.

WHITE CHOCOLATE FRUIT TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well. , Press into an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom or 12-in. pizza pan with sides. Bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, in a small bowl, beat melted chips and cream. Add cream cheese; beat until smooth. Spread over crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. , Drain oranges and pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup fruit juices. Arrange the oranges, pineapple, strawberries and kiwi over filling., For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon juice and reserved fruit juices until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool., Brush glaze over fruit. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. If desired, sprinkle with fresh basil or mint. Refrigerate leftovers.

CHOCOLATE FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons butter using a pastry cutter or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in egg and egg yolk until dough comes together.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Bake in the preheated oven until dry to the touch, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pastry cream. Bring milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, and flour together in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in hot milk, a little at a time, until custard is smooth. Pour custard back into the saucepan; add lemon zest. Cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream thickens and comes to a boil, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, discard lemon zest, and let cool.
• Remove tart crust from the oven and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Unmold crust and fill with cooled pastry cream. Pile cherries in the center. Arrange peach slices in a ring around the cherries. Arrange kiwi slices in a ring around the peaches.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CREAM CHEESE FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 12-inch tart pan.
• Beat butter and confectioners' sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in flour until mixture is crumbly. Press into the prepared tart pan.
• Bake crust until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Beat melted and cooled white chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl until smooth. Mix in cream cheese until thoroughly combined. Spread over cooled crust. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Combine 1/2 cup water and white sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix remaining 1/2 cup water and cornstarch together in a bowl until cornstarch dissolves; add to sugar mixture. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and clears, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup and return to a boil. Remove glaze from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Arrange strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries over cream cheese layer and brush with glaze. Chill for at least 1 hour; store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

TOMATO TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sift the flour and salt together and rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the cheese and bind with a little cold water. Chill for 30 minutes and then roll out to line an 8-inch flan dish. Chill again for 30 minutes.
• Cover with foil and baking beans and bake blind in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil and baking beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. (If continuing with the recipe leave the oven on.)
• Peel the tomatoes, seed, slice, strain and save the juice.
• In a small pan heat the oil over a low heat and saute the onion until soft, add the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato juice, season and cook until the juice is almost absorbed. Put this in the pastry case (shell) and cover with the fish. (If you are using fresh tuna cook it in a pan with a little more oil for about 2 minutes turning as necessary, then flake it.) Cover with the tomatoes and grated cheese. Whisk the eggs with the cream and pour over the tomatoes, scattering the olives on top. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve hot or cold with a green salad, or a salad of green beans, or deep fried French Beans which you have dipped in batter

PAINTED CHOCOLATE PALETTE

Steps:

• Using the palette template provided, trace the shape onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out, creating a stencil. Spread a 1/8-inch-thick layer of the white chocolate onto a sheet of parchment paper or acetate. Let the chocolate set slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes. The chocolate will be firm enough to cut but it will not be hard. Place the cardboard stencil on top of the chocolate, and with the tip of a sharp paring knife, cut all the way through the chocolate, working quickly before the chocolate becomes too hard. Peel off the paper or acetate from what is now the top. Remove the cut palette and set aside for assembly.
• To make the paintbrushes, use a cornet half filled with bittersweet chocolate. Pipe a 1/8-inch-thick 4-inch-long line onto a clean sheet of parchment paper or acetate. Pipe an extra 1/2-inch teardrop at one end of the chocolate line.
• To make the paints, mix the cocoa butter and a small amount of powdered food coloring together (it will be easier if you use a yogurt machine to store and warm your paints). Using a paintbrush, create paint spots on the palette, applying as many colors as you are inspired to do.
• To assemble, set the palette on a plate. Rest the ends of the paintbrush in the finger hold. Place chocolate bonbons on the palette near each paint color.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres):
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

FRESH FRUIT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Line tartlet tins with the pastry (use boat-shaped tins if you have them). Bake blind in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. When cold, brush the inside of the tartlet cases with the melted chocolate and leave to harden.
• Mix together the cream cheese and double cream until very smooth, then add the sugar and vanilla essence. Fill the tartlet cases with the cream mixture and arrange the fruit on top. Brush with the apricot or red currant glaze, depending on the fruit used, and leave to set.
• Sift the flour and salt together and rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the cheese, if using, and bind with a little cold water. Chill for 30 minutes and then roll out and use as above.

DARK CHOCOLATE & PASSION FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Sift the flour, icing sugar, cocoa and ½ tsp salt into a bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks along with 2 tbsp ice-cold water, and continue to mix with your hands until a soft dough forms. Alternatively, pulse the ingredients together in a food processor. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 1 hr. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
• Line the base of a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin with baking parchment. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin, then use it to line the tart tin, pressing it up the side and leaving some overhanging. Cover and chill for another 1 hr.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20 mins. Remove the beans and parchment and bake for 20 mins more until crisp. Leave to cool completely, then use a sharp knife to trim the excess pastry.
• To make the curd, put the passion fruit pulp in a food processor and blitz to separate the seeds and flesh. Push through a sieve over a medium saucepan, then discard the seeds. Tip in the remaining ingredients and set the pan over a low heat. Whisk until the butter has melted, then, using a wooden spoon, stir until the curd has thickened, about 10 mins. (Don't turn up the heat to speed up the process, as the eggs will curdle.) Stir well, especially at the edge, as this is where the curd can catch. Sieve into a bowl, leave to cool, then spoon into the case. Chill the filled tart for 30 mins.
• To make the ganache, melt the chocolate, cream, sugar and a pinch of sea salt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, stirring until glossy and thick. Remove from the heat, leave to cool for 15 mins, then pour over the curd layer. Scatter over the cocoa nibs, if using, then chill for at least 4 hrs, or overnight. Dust with cocoa, then slice and serve with crème fraîche.

FIVE STAR WHITE CHOCOLATE FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F.
• Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Blend in flour.
• Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the side of a 12 inch round pizza pan.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just lightly brown.
• Cool completely.
• Carefully melt the vanilla or white chocolate chips and the cream either carefully on the stove on very low, stirring constantly, or in the microwave.
• Beat in the cream cheese.
• When crust is cool, pour on the melted chocolate/cheese mixture, spreading evenly.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve--at least 3 hours.
• Slice the fruit of your choice and place on the tart in an attractive manner.
• This is best eaten the same day it's made.
• But there won't be any leftovers anyway.