Chocolate Cherry Tartlets

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Intensely chocolatey and filled with bourbon cherries,  Chocolate Cherry Tartlets, are the perfect indulgence for Valentine's Day.  The composition of chocolate and dark sweet cherries is a classic combo and creates elegant over-the-top treats.

A bright, rich glaze shines like a mirror, just asking for pretty garnishes like sweetened whipped cream and fresh stemmed cherries.  The bourbon cherries add a boozy and syrupy sweet extra kick.

Crumbly Dough and Silky Smooth Filling

The dough for the tartlets is very similar to pate sablee.  This classic French dough has a delicate, crumbly texture and a sweet flavor.  However, the addition of ground hazelnuts adds nuttiness as well as some structure.

The bourbon cherries are enveloped by a silky chocolate filling that oozes into all the nooks and crannies of the fruit.

Chocolate Cherry Tartlets Ingredients

Hazelnut Crust

• all-purpose flour
• ground hazelnuts
• powdered sugar
• light brown sugar
• salt
• unsalted butter
• egg yolk
• heavy cream

Chocolate Filling

• semisweet chocolate
• heavy cream
• vanilla extract
• salt
• egg yolk
• whole egg

Chocolate Glaze

• powdered gelatin
• whole milk
• heavy cream
• sugar
• cocoa powder
• semisweet chocolate

Bourbon Cherries

• cherries
• orange juice
• orange zest
• star anise
• whole peppercorns
• vanilla bean or extract
• sugar
• bourbon (optional)

How to Prepare Chocolate Cherry Tartlets

Many of the steps can be prepared and assembled ahead of time.  The only step that should be done on the day of serving is the addition of the chocolate glaze to the tart.

Prepare the tart dough

The key to working with the dough is to keep it cold.

Make the dough

• Grind hazelnuts for 30 seconds in a food processor until there are no large pieces.

• Add the flour, both sugars, and salt to the hazelnuts. Process for 20-30 seconds.
• Cut the butter into cubes. Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Pulse 8 times.

• After incorporating the butter, add the cream and one egg yolk. Pulse 12 times.

• The dough should be coming together. Remove the dough from the bowl of a food processor onto a piece of plastic wrap. Press the dough together into a ball and flatten. Wrap in the plastic, and chill the dough in the refrigerator.
• After the dough has chilled for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the refrigerator. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions.

Prepare the tart shells

• Using your fingers, press the dough into the tart pan. Make sure the dough is an even thickness on the bottom and the sides. Cut off any excess on the top of the sides so that the shell has a nice appearance.

• Freeze the shells for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the tart pans from the freezer.
• Have 5 pieces of parchment paper cut to fit the inside of the tart pans on top of the dough. Coat the paper with nonstick spray. Line the inside of the tart shells with parchment paper, sprayed side down.

Blind baking tart shells

Pre-baking a pie or tart crust helps to prevent mishaps that can affect the structure of your baked good.  By blind baking, the crust is held in place so that it doesn't slide down the sides of the pan and the dough doesn't puff up from the steam.  Blind baking also helps to prevent pie soggy bottoms by partially cooking the dough.  If your dessert doesn't require more time in the oven after filling, you are fully baking the crust.

• To blind bake a crust, line the pie or tart shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• Add pie weights onto the paper or foil.  Pie weights can be ceramic beads, dried beans, rice, or even pennies.  Just make sure you have enough to fill the pan.  Also, make sure that the weights are placed all the way to the point where the sides meet the bottom of the pan.  This helps to keep the crust up against the pan, preventing slippage.

• For the Chocolate Cherry Tart, bake the tart shells on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and remove the pie weights and the parchment paper.
• Put the tart shells back in the oven for 5 minutes. The bottom of the dough should be dry and the entire shell will be golden brown.
• Remove the shells from the tart pans once they are cool enough to handle. It is easier to remove them while the shells are still a little warm. Be careful - the shells are fragile.

Chocolate Filling

The process for making this filling is similar to making a creme anglaise or a chocolate custard.

• Whisk the whole egg and the yolk together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 ¼ cups of heavy cream over medium-high heat. Once the cream is steaming and very hot, remove the pan from the heat.
• Add the chopped chocolate and the salt to the hot cream mixture and stir until the chocolate is melted.

• The eggs are going to be tempered with some of the melted chocolate cream mixture. Add a little chocolate/cream to the whisked eggs to bring them up to temperature. Add a small amount more. Put the pan back over medium heat, adding the egg and chocolate mixture back to the pan. Working quickly, mix everything with a spatula. The mix will start to thicken quickly. As soon as it feels like it is the consistency of pudding, take the pan off the heat. If you leave the filling cooking too long, the eggs will start to scramble.

• Add the vanilla to the chocolate filling and combine.

• You can use a strainer to pour the chocolate cream through to remove any overcooked bits of egg. Just don't let the cream remain in the pan because it will continue to cook which is what you do not want to happen.
• Set to the side to cool while you get the shells ready for filling.

Assemble the Chocolate Cherry Tarlets

Prepare the Candied Bourbon Cherries before this step.  Here is the recipe - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/candied-bourbon-cherries.

The cherries can be made days ahead and freeze very well.  They are nice to have on hand for a special touch on your desserts.

• Place the bourbon cherry filling in the baked tart shells. There is a link for the Bourbon Cherries recipe in the notes below. Add just enough to cover the bottom. You will need room in the shell to add the chocolate filling.

• Pour the chocolate filling over the cherries. Don't overfill - leave a little room at the top of the shell for the chocolate glaze.

Prepare Chocolate Glaze

It is best to prepare the glaze the day you are serving the tarts.  Because of the gelatin, it will start to set up soon.

• Combine the 1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin with 2 tablespoons of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream in a small bowl. Set aside to hydrate for a couple of minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

• Combine ¼ cup of granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Add ⅓ cup of heavy cream to the pan and combine with dry ingredients.
• Heat over a medium-high flame until there are small bubbles in the liquid forming at the side of the pan. Make sure the sugar should be dissolved.  This only takes a few minutes.
• The powdered gelatin should be completely "bloomed" in the cream/milk mix.  This means the liquid has been absorbed and the gelatin is no longer in a powdered state.
• Add the gelatin to the warm cocoa and cream mix. Whisk together until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the finely chopped semisweet chocolate and whisk until it is completely dissolved.

• Pour the chocolate glaze over the top of the chocolate filling in each tart. There only be approximately 2 tablespoons of glaze on each tart.

• It is helpful to tip the tarts to help spread the glaze across the entire surface of the filling since it sets up quickly.  The glaze is very shiny and will dry to a tacky finish.
• Garnish with fresh cherries and sweetened whipped cream.

Tips and Substitutions

• One large tart can be made with the components.  Use a 9 ½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable base.
• Roll out the tart dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. The key to success with this method is to work quickly and to keep rotating the dough so it doesn't stick to the surface. Make sure that the dough has a consistent thickness. Gently fold the dough onto itself and carefully place it over half of the tart pan. Unfold the dough and use your fingertips to press into the corner of the pan to create a sharp edge along the bottom. If cracks appear, press the dough together to repair them. Remove the excess dough from the pan edge with a sharp knife.

• You can make some of the tart components ahead of time - bourbon cherries, tart dough, baking the shells, and the chocolate filling.  Make the glaze the day you plan to serve the tarts.
• Keep the tart shells in a covered container if you make them ahead of time.
• The bourbon cherries and the baked tart shells can be frozen.
• You can make the cherries and omit the bourbon if you prefer.
• You can use other nuts or almond flour for the crust.
• Sweetened crème fraîche is a tasty garnish for the top of the tart.

Ultimate Pampering

This chocolate cherry tart recipe is the ultimate pampering, especially for a chocolate lover.  The delicate crust, silky smooth filling, and candied cherries are the perfect combination for an indulgent dessert.

This Valentine's Day dessert is a sweet treat that is beautiful as well.  Chocolate Cherry Tartlets are a lovely treat for someone special!

Other Valentine's dessert ideas -

https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/mini-pavlovas/

https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/chocolate-mocha-tart/

https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/red-velvet-and-white-chocolate-cheesecake/