Warm Bittersweet Chocolate Tartlets With Spiced Almonds Recipes

CHOCOLATE HONEY ALMOND TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini-muffin tin with mini-cupcake liners.
• Place the graham crackers and the almonds in the bowl of a food processor and process to fine crumbs, 15 to 20 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until incorporated. Add 1 tablespoon of the crumb mixture to each muffin cup, gently pressing it into the bottom of the cup with your fingers or a shot glass. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the crusts are firm, rotating the tin halfway through.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk the cream and honey together until the honey has dissolved. Raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture to just below the boil. Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour 1 tablespoon of the chocolate filling into each prepared muffin cup. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

BERRY ALMOND TARTLETS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• For the almond pastry, put the flour, ground almonds, sugar and 1⁄4 tsp salt into a food processor and work for 5 seconds until mixed. Add the butter and pulse for about 10 seconds until the mixture forms fine crumbs. Tip into a bowl, add the egg yolks and almond extract and mix with a knife to make coarse crumbs (don't do this in the machine or you'll overwork it and make the pastry tough). Turn out on to the work surface and knead briefly by hand to a smooth, pliable ball. If it's too sticky, work in a little more flour. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes until firm.
• Brush six 9cm loose-bottomed tartlet tins with melted butter. Divide the ball of dough in half and work with one piece at a time. Roll it out on non-stick baking parchment until 3mm thick. Cut out three 13cm rounds using a plain pastry cutter or a small upturned saucer as a template. Ease each disc of pastry into the tins and press them on to the base and sides so the edges of the pastry come slightly above the top edge of the tins. Prick the bases with a fork so they do not puff up in the oven and set them on a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pastry. Chill for at least 15 minutes until firm. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6.
• Line the tartlets with small squares of buttered foil, pressing them well against the sides to hold up the dough during baking. Bake for 7-8 minutes until the pastry starts to brown. Remove the foil and continue baking for a further 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. Let them cool in the tins, then turn them out to be sure they are loose. Replace them in the tins for support before adding the filling.
• For the ganache, break the chocolate into a bowl. Bring the cream just to the boil, pour on to the chocolate and leave for 2-3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Chill without stirring for 8-12 minutes until the ganache is cool but still soft enough to pour, then pour a shallow layer into each tartlet to cover the base. Chill until set, then unmould the tartlets and let them come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (They can be kept covered, at room temperature, for up to 6 hours.)
• To finish, warm the redcurrant jelly with 1 tbsp water and stir until smooth. Pick over the raspberries and pile them casually on top of the ganache. Spoon over a little of the warm glaze and decorate each tartlet with a tiny sprig of mint.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
• Finely grind 1/2 cup almonds, flour and salt in processor. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until thick, about 2 minutes. Fold in almond mixture, then chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (center will fall). Press edges down with fork to level top. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Cut around cake; remove pan sides. Beat cream in large bowl to firm peaks. Mound cream atop cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds.

WARM CHOCOLATE TARTS WITH PINK PEPPERCORN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For crust:
• Using on/off turns, finely grind almonds in processor. Transfer ground almonds to small bowl. Add butter and sugar to processor; blend until smooth. Blend in egg. Add ground almonds, flour, and salt; using on/off turns, process just to blend. Gather dough into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 5-inch-diameter plate or bowl as guide, cut out rounds. Gather dough scraps and repeat to form 8 rounds total. Press each dough round over bottom and up sides of 4 1/4- to 4 1/2-inch-diameter by 3/4-inch-high tartlet pan with removable bottom. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange tartlet pans on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake crusts until golden brown around edges, pressing with back of fork if crusts bubble, about 20 minutes. Cool crusts 10 minutes.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir chocolate and butter in double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth; cool slightly. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl to blend. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Fold in flour.
• Divide filling among crusts. Bake tarts on baking sheet until filling is puffed and set, about 13 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove tartlet pan sides. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely in pans. Cover tarts with foil. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm on sheet in 350°F oven 5 minutes.)
• Serve tarts warm with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream.

DARK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE TART WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• For candied orange peel:
• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from orange in strips. Cut strips into matchstick-size pieces and place in small saucepan. Cover with cold water; bring to boil. Cook 30 seconds; drain. Rinse saucepan; add 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and peel. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until peel is translucent and syrup is thick, about 20 minutes. Using tines of fork, transfer peel to plate and cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)
• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl until smooth. Beat in cocoa powder. Add flour and beat until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 11-inch round. Peel off top sheet of paper. Invert dough over 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom; peel off paper. Gently press dough into pan. Press dough overhang in to form double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until sides look dry and bottom looks bubbly, about 14 minutes. Transfer crust to rack. Using back of spoon, press up sides of dough if falling. Cool completely.
• For filling:
• Toss almonds, sugar, and cinnamon in small bowl. Chop all but 2 strips of peel. Sprinkle chopped orange peel, then almond mixture over bottom of prepared crust. Place cream in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth; mix in Grand Marnier. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 3 hours. Garnish with remaining 2 orange peel strips. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with foil and keep refrigerated.)
• Using sharp knife, gently loosen crust from pan sides. Remove pan sides. Cut tart into wedges; serve cold.