Espresso Ganache Tartlets Recipes

ESPRESSO-GANACHE TARTLETS

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream, coffee powder, sugar and butter over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla.
• Divide mixture evenly among phyllo shells or candy cups. Top each with 1 chocolate-covered espresso bean. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. Store in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

ESPRESSO-GANACHE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until light. Beat in egg. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat just until blended. Divide dough among six 3-inch-diameter tartlet pans with 1-inch-high sides and removable bottoms. With floured fingertips, press dough into pans. Refrigerate 1 hour, then freeze 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake tartlets until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely.
• For filling:
• Mix 1/4 cup hot water and espresso powder in small bowl until espresso dissolves. Bring cream and sugar to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Mix in espresso mixture. Pour hot filling into tartlets. Chill until chocolate sets, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) Remove tart pan sides from tartlets. Transfer to plates and serve.

ESPRESSO-INFUSED WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place your chopped chocolate into the bowl of your stand mixer.
• Place the espresso beans in a sealable gallon-size bag (or between two pieces of parchment) and crush them with a rolling pin. Combine the heavy cream and espresso beans in a small pot and heat over medium-low heat until simmering. Remove from the heat, cover the pot and allow the cream to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the cream through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a clean pot. Return the cream to medium-low heat and bring back to a simmer.
• Pour the warm cream into the bowl of chocolate. Add the coffee liqueur if using and the salt. Gently stir the mixture with a spatula until smooth. Allow your ganache to cool until the outer edge of the ganache is a spreadable consistency; the center of the ganache may still be a bit loose.
• Fit your stand mixer with the whip attachment and whip the ganache on medium-high speed until the ganache lightens in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Don't over whip or you run the risk of breaking your ganache. Use immediately as a filling or frosting.
• Once the whipped ganache sets up it can be rewarmed in the microwave in 20 second bursts. Rewarmed ganache can be re-whipped or poured.

CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO TART

Steps:

• Make the ganache: Put chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl, and set aside. Bring cream and espresso to a boil in a small pan. Pour through a fine sieve over the chocolate; discard solids. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
• Make the tart shell: Sift flour, salt, and cocoa powder into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cream. Shape dough into a thick rectangle; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment paper to a 16-by-6-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Press dough into a 14-by-4 1/2-inch rectangular flan frame set on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Trim dough flush with top edge. Prick all over bottom of shell with a fork. Bake until firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Unmold.
• Put ganache into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (such as Ateco No. 828).
• Smooth mascarpone cheese over bottom of tart shell with an offset spatula.
• Pipe ganache rosettes, one next to the other, on top of mascarpone to cover.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE TARTLETS WITH SWEET CHERRIES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan bring 3/4 cup cream just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour 3/4 cup mixture into a bowl, reserving remainder in pan for glazing tartlets. Add 1/3 cup cream to mixture in bowl, stirring until ganache is combined well. Chill ganache until thick and cold, about 1 hour.
• In a small bowl whisk remaining 1/3 cup cream until just stiff. With an electric mixer beat chilled ganache until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds (do not overbeat or it will become grainy). Remove tartlet shells from tartlet pans (use a thin, flexible knife to help remove shells if necessary). Fold whipped cream into ganache until combined well and spread in tartlet shells, smoothing tops.
• Heat reserved chocolate mixture over low heat, stirring, until melted and just warm. Working quickly, with 1 tartlet at a time, spoon about 1 tablespoon glaze onto top, tilting tartlet to allow glaze to completely cover filling. Chill tartlets until glaze is set, about 30 minutes. Tartlets may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap.
• Serve tartlets with cherries.