1 large egg yolk
1½ teaspoons (or more) heavy whipping creamNonstick vegetable oil spray
Filling
9 ounces imported milk chocolate (such as Lindt), chopped
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans
¼ cup (about) apricot preserves
18 pecan halves, toastedGrated milk chocolate
CRUST: Blend flour, pecans, sugar, and salt in processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix egg yolk and 1½ teaspoons cream in bowl. Add to flour mixture; process until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray eighteen 3-inch-diameter tartlet pans with nonstick spray. Using fingertips, press 1 tablespoon dough onto bottom and up sides of each prepared pan. Arrange tartlet pans on heavy large baking sheet. Bake until crusts are golden, piercing with fork if bubbles form, about 10 minutes. Transfer pans to rack; cool completely.
FILLING: Stir milk chocolate in medium bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Bring cream just to simmer in small saucepan. Pour hot cream into chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans. Transfer filling to small bowl. Cover and chill until filling is consistency of thick pudding, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
Using small knife, loosen crusts from pans. Turn crusts out onto work surface. Spread 1 teaspoon preserves in each crust. Spoon 1 tablespoon filling over each. Garnish with pecan halves and grated chocolate. Chill until filling is firm, about 1 hour. Serve tartlets cold.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.Equipment Tip: Tartlet PansThis recipe calls for eighteen 3-inch-diameter tartlet pans, which are available at some specialty foods stores and restaurant supply stores.
This elegant sweet is a marriage of smooth crème brûlée and a raspberry tart. These tartlets would be perfect for a special romantic dinner. If your broiler doesn’t get hot enough, a small kitchen torch, available at cookware stores, can be used to caramelize the sugar. If fresh raspberries are unavailable, thawed whole frozen raspberries will work in a pinch. Start preparing the tarts at least one day before serving to allow the custard to set. Makes 2
Crust
¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 teaspoons sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons minced crystallized ginger
1 tablespoon (or more) ice water
1 tablespoon raspberry preserves, stirred to loosen
Filling
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 ounce high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
2 large egg yolks
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sugar
Fresh raspberries
CRUST: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and ginger; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 tablespoon ice water and blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Roll out dough disks on lightly floured surface to 6-inch rounds. Press 1 round into 4 ½-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Trim dough overhang to ½ inch; fold in, pressing to form double-thick sides. Repeat with remaining dough round. Pierce crusts all over with fork. Freeze 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crusts until golden, piercing with fork if crusts bubble, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack. Immediately spoon ½ tablespoon preserves over bottom of each crust. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
FILLING: Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; add white chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk egg yolks and vanilla in medium bowl. Slowly whisk cream mixture into yolk mixture to blend well. Divide custard between crusts. Bake tartlets until centers are just set, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack. Chill tartlets overnight.
Preheat broiler. Sprinkle each tartlet with 1 teaspoon sugar. Broil just until sugar melts and browns, covering crusts with foil to prevent burning, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate tartlets until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Remove pan sides from tartlets. Arrange raspberries around edge of tartlets.
These tartlets have a classic French “brown butter” filling. Butter is swirled over medium-low heat until it becomes golden brown, giving it a rich, nutty flavor. The filling is slightly cakey—making the tartlets durable enough to transport to a picnic or a party. (For best results, transport the tartlets in their pans.) Morello cherries can be found at Trader Joe’s, at other specialty foods stores, and online. Sweetened whipped cream makes a good substitute for the crème fraîche. Makes 8
Crust
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
Filling
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon almond extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 24.7-ounce jar dark Morello cherries in light syrup, well drained, syrup reserved
Sweetened Crème Fraîche
1 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons sugar
CRUST: Blend flour, almonds, sugar, and salt in processor until almonds are finely chopped. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and freeze 15 minutes.
Butter bottoms of eight 4-inch-diameter tartlet pans with ¾-inch-high sides and removable bottoms. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of each prepared tartlet pan. Place tartlets on large rimmed baking sheet. Chill while preparing filling.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
FILLING: Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, about 12 minutes. Whisk sugar, eggs, flour, almond extract, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in browned butter to form a smooth batter.