CRUST: Mix flour, cocoa powder, and salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl until creamy. Add flour mixture and stir with fork until coarse meal forms. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Press 1 dough piece evenly over bottom and up sides of 4 ½-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Repeat with remaining 3 dough pieces. Freeze 20 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray four 7-inch foil squares with nonstick spray. Line crusts with foil, sprayed side down. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crusts until set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue baking until crusts feel dry, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to rack; cool completely.
FILLING AND TRUFFLES: Combine cream and butter in medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts. Add chocolate; stir until melted. Whisk in Cognac. Cool filling 15 minutes.
Spoon enough filling into crusts to fill (about ½ cup for each); reserve remaining filling. Refrigerate tartlets and reserved filling overnight.
Line small baking sheet with foil. Form reserved filling into balls, using generous rounded ½ teaspoonful for each. Place on prepared sheet. Freeze 15 minutes. Roll each truffle in chopped pecans, coating completely. Freeze until truffles are firm, about 1 hour.
Let tartlets stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Place parchment paper strips in lattice pattern atop 1 tartlet. Sift cocoa over. Remove strips. Repeat with remaining tartlets. Garnish each with 3 truffles.
Two dessert favorites come together in this treat: A chocolate soufflé rises out of a tender tart crust. The tarts can be assembled and frozen up to one week ahead, making this the perfect dessert to keep on hand for unexpected guests. Makes 8
Crust
1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon (scant) salt
Filling
10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
¼ cup Irish whiskey
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons instant coffee crystals Pinch of salt
4 large eggs, room temperature, separated
½ cup sugar
Sweetened whipped creamChocolate shavings (optional)
CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour, butter, sugar, and salt in processor just until dough gathers together. Shape dough into log; cut into 8 equal rounds. Using fingertips, press 1 dough round over bottom and up sides of 4 ½-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Repeat with remaining 7 dough rounds. Pierce crusts with fork; bake until pale golden, about 18 minutes. Cool in pans on rack.
FILLING: Finely chop generous ⅓ cup chopped chocolate and set aside. Stir remaining chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in whiskey, vanilla, coffee, and salt, then egg yolks. Beat room-temperature egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold half of whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in reserved ⅓ cup finely chopped chocolate, then remaining egg whites. Divide mixture among crusts. Freeze at least 3 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Release pan sides from frozen tartlets. Arrange tartlets on their pan bottoms on baking sheet. Bake until filling puffs and begins to crack, about 20 minutes.
Place tartlets on plates. Spoon whipped cream alongside. Top with chocolate shavings, if desired.
There’s a reason these are miniature in size: They are incredibly rich. Freezing the crusts before baking reduces buckling and helps the tartlets hold their shape in the oven. Silicone mini muffin pans, which make the tartlets really easy to unmold, are available online and at cookware stores. Makes 30
Crust
1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
5 tablespoons (or more) chilled heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (about) hazelnuts, toasted, husked (about 5 ounces)
Filling
1⅓ cups (packed) golden brown sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
CRUST: Butter 30 metal or silicone mini muffin cups (1- to 1½-tablespoon capacity). Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until coarse meal forms. Add 5 tablespoons cream and vanilla; using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Press 2 teaspoonfuls dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of each prepared mini muffin cup. Pierce tartlet crusts all over with fork. Freeze crusts 30 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake frozen crusts until golden and baked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool in muffin cups 10 minutes. Carefully loosen crusts from muffin cups. Transfer crusts to rimmed baking sheet and cool completely. Place 2 to 3 hazelnuts in each crust.
FILLING: Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons water, and salt in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to boil, then boil 2 minutes without stirring (mixture will bubble up and thicken slightly). Remove pan from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); stir until smooth. Pour caramel into medium heatproof bowl; cool 10 minutes. Spoon caramel over hazelnuts in crusts, filling crusts almost to top. Refrigerate until caramel begins to firm up slightly, about 1 hour.
Stir chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Using spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over top of tartlets. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Milk chocolate is often relegated to the candy jar, but it’s just right for these cute little tartlets, which have an easy press-in crust. Makes 18
Crust
1¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
⅓ cup pecans, toasted
¼ cup sugarPinch of salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes