Life is Great

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pistachio Tartlets [Printer Friendly Version]

Pâte sucrée and chocolate ganache recipes adapted barely from the Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Yield: About 21 3-inch tartlets, 24 if you roll the pastry exactly 2mm thick and divide the filling accordingly.

Note: For pâte sucrée tips, you may refer to my previous tart recipe. Macerating the raspberries is optional but I like to do it because it balances out the tartness of the berry and the syrup gives them a nice sheen.

Pâte sucrée:

• 200 grams plain flour
  
• 60 grams pure icing sugar
  
• pinch of salt
  
• 120 grams cold butter, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon iced water
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• egg wash for brushing

Macerated Raspberries:

• 300 grams fresh raspberries
  
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons castor sugar (or just enough to coat the berries)

Raspberry Jam:

• 300 grams fresh raspberries
  
• 150 grams castor sugar
  
• juice and zest of 1 lemon

Chocolate Ganache:

• 330 milliliters pouring cream
  
• 60 milliliters corn/golden syrup
  
• 250 grams dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

• 100 grams fresh pistachios

Prepare the macerated raspberries: For the macerated raspberries, in a non-reactive bowl, coat the raspberries with the sugar. Cover with cling wrap and let stand at room temperature up to 6 hours. Drain off excess syrup before using.

Make the pâte sucrée: Process flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor to combine, add butter and iced water, process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. You can also do this very quickly with a pastry cutter. Add yolk, process to combine, turn onto a work surface and bring together with the heel of your hand. Divide the dough into 2 balls and form each dough into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic and refrigerate, for about 1 1/2 hours.

Prepare the jam and nut filling: In a medium saucepan, place all the ingredients and cook over medium heat till jam thickens slightly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate (if necessary) till needed. For the pistachios, spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes in at 180°C or 5 minutes over the stove. Cool to room temperature. Process in a grinder or pound in pestle and mortar, leaving some coarse pieces for garnish.

Bake the tart shells: Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 (if using convection, turn the fan on). Working with one dough disc at a time, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to 2mm thick and line 8 3-inch-diameter, 3/4-inch-deep fluted tart shells. Trim edges and refrigerate to rest, for about 30 minutes. Reroll remaining pastry into a ball and return it to the fridge. Repeat with the second dough disc. Combine the leftover dough and repeat to line remaining tart shells till all the dough is used up. Blind bake tart shells (pierce, line and weight) until light golden, for about 15-20 minutes. Remove paper liners and weights, brush shells with egg wash. Bake again until crisp and golden, about 4-5 minutes (if using convection, turn the fan off). Remove pastry shells from tart tins and cool on a wire rack.

Prepare the ganache filling: Bring cream and corn syrup to the simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, add in the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove into a bowl and let cool slightly. Refrigerate until slightly thick, about 25-30 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes.

Assemble the tarts: While waiting for the ganache to cool, arrange the tart shells on a baking sheet or tray. Fill each shell with about 1 tablespoon of ground pistachios. With a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop and fill each tart with the raspberry jam. Then, fill the tarts with cooled ganache, smooth the tops if necessary. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set. Once ganache is set, sprinkle with some pistachios. Arrange 3 to 4 of the macerated raspberries on top and serve.

Do ahead: Assemble the tarts as close to serving time as possible. However, all the components of the tart can be prepared ahead, except for the ganache. Baked tart shells keep well in an air-tight container, with layers of parchment in between, at room temperature, up to 3 days. The jam keeps up to 1 week, longer if canned. Keep the maceration of the berries under 8 hours though, else they'd be too soft to use as the garnish.