Chocolate Tahini Tarts


The baking bug bit me again. I really can't stay away from desserts. I probably have a mild sugar addiction but thankfully it only rears its ugly head at night after dinner. I usually have a quarter or a half bar of chocolate and that satisfies the craving but other times I want more and tarts like this are perfect for that. These tarts aren't too sweet and pack a flavorful punch with tahini and dark chocolate. The shortcrust is tender and crumbly and just the right amount of crust to filling ratio for me. For once, I felt Sweet cookbook did not have a too sweet dessert (yeah, even for me!)


This tart is for serious chocolate fanatics only so if you aren't into bitter/dark chocolate, maybe find a brownie recipe to satisfy the chocolate cravings. I hope you do make them though because they're definitely worth the trouble. Plus, I had dessert for an entire week covered with this by storing the tarts in an air tight container in the fridge ad warming them for 5-7 seconds in the microwave before eating. SO delicious!

Recipe adapted from Sweet, Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh
Makes 12 tarts with leftover filling

Shortcrust pastry (makes 18 tart bases, freeze 6 for later):
300 gm/~2 1/3 cups flour
90 gm/~3/4 cup confectioners sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
200 gm/~3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes, plus an extra tbsp for greasing tin
1 egg yolk
3-4 tbsp cold water (you might need more or less)

Chocolate Mousse:
200 gm/7 oz 80% dark chocolate, chopped
150 gm/1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp butter, cut into cubes
3 eggs
75 gm/1/3 cup sugar

Tahini Filling:
180 gm/2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp tahini
60 gm/3 tbsp honey


Instructions:
To make the pastry, pulse together flour, sugar and orange zest in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tbsp water and pour this over the dough and pulse again briefly until the dough comes together when pressed together between fingers. You might need to add a little more water to it. Gently knead this dough in a medium bowl until it forms a cohesive ball. Take out a large piece of plastic wrap wrap and wrap this dough well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Grease a muffin tin with 1 tbsp butter and flour and tap out the excess and refrigerate the tin.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and between two floured parchment paper, whack it with a rolling pin until it becomes a little soft and spreads a little. Roll it out, still between the sheets, until it is 1/8" thick. Using a 4"cookie cutter, cut out circles. Re-roll the scraps to get 18 altogether. Freeze 6 of the cutouts between pieces of parchment paper for another time. using the rest 12, gently place them in the muffin tin and using your fingers press it all along the sides. Refrigerate this dough for another hour. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the pastry shells with more parchment paper and baking beans and blind bake them for 25 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Remove the beans and paper and bake for 5 minutes more until golden brown all around. Let rest while you make the filling.
Melt the chocolate and butter in microwave in 20 second increments stirring vigorously in between until melted. Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and using a hand held mixer, with whisk attachment, beat for about 5 minutes till the mixture is light, pale, thick and foamy. gently fold a third of the chocolate mixture into and then pour in the rest and mix it in well making sure there are no white streaks.
Increase the oven temp to 400 F. Whisk together tahini and honey well till it forms a thick paste. Place a tbsp of tahini filling in each muffin cup and fill chocolate mousse to the top (so it's domed). Bake for 10 minutes till a crust has formed on the top but center is still gooey. let cool completely in pan and using a thin knife, take them out of the muffin tins. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and dust with confectioners sugar before serving. Enjoy!


Comments

  1. I have been on a real kick lately with baking with tahini. It's such an unexpected ingredient and just adds such a lovely, haunting flavor. Definitely adding this one to my repertoire.

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