Mini Chocolate Raspberry Tart
February 6th was my 28th birthday and to celebrate I decided to make a mini chocolate tart in one of my mini pie plates. Not only are tarts one of my favorite desserts but they're also among the easiest to make. Since I started Suite One Studio my birthday seems to really sneak up on me. Or maybe that's the getting older thing. But I seriously feel like it was JUST Christmas. Usually by the end of January I've stopped spinning from the holiday shopping/shipping madness, and look around to realize that my birthday is only a few days away. This year was no exception, although this time I was in full spin until the day before my birthday. That's another reason why this tart was the perfect choice: In less than an hour I had a tasty treat completely absent of any hint of, "Oh gee, I almost forgot my own birthday, again."
I used this (practically no bake) recipe from Martha Stewart as a starting point, making a few minor adjustments to customize the proportions for my mini pie plate. I already had a pre-made Oreo pie crust in the pantry that seemed worth using. It didn't save a tremendous amount of time as I still needed to process it with butter and sugar and reshape it into my pie plate, but it was kinda a cool trick that seems worth sharing.
I've said it before I know, but I love these little pie plates. They're the perfect size for treating yourself and a friend to a special dessert. Sort of like the grown-up (and actually good) version of those Easy-Bake delights we all proudly prepared and ate as kids. Because these pie plates make smaller desserts I find myself needing less of an excuse to bake. Living with just one other person always made large desserts a weird sort of sad pie eating challenge. A week later I'd look at the empty pie plate and think, "Yup. I ate that whole pie." or else I wouldn't get around to finishing it before it was past its peak and then that was sad for a very different reason. Mini pie plate equals all the pie problems solved. Plus with Valentine's Day just around the corner a smaller pie plate has a nice candle-lit-dinner intimate ring to it.
Ingredients:
Crust:
Pre-made crust (or continue to Martha's site to make your own crust)
3 Tbsp butter - melted
1 Tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
Filling:
1 cup Heavy Cream
10 oz. Chocolate Chips (I used semi sweet, but pick your favorite!)
To make the Crust:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Crumble the pre-made pie crust and add to a food processor along with the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Process until just combined. Scoop into pie plate and firmly press the mixture against the dish. Bake for 12-18 minutes, until the dough appears dry (the melted butter will initially cause the dough to appear glossy and wet). Remove from oven, reshape the dough if need with the rounded edge of a spoon, pressing the crust against the edges and bottom of the plate. Cool to room temperature.
To make the filling:
Place chocolate chips in a medium size heat proof bowl.
Add cream to a saucepan, heat on medium heat and bring just to the point of a low simmer.
Add simmered cream immediately to the bowl of chocolate chips.
Allow to sit for one minute unstirred.
Whisk mixture until smooth and even.
Pour mixture into cooled pie crust and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Remove from refrigerator 5 minutes prior to serving.
Scatter fresh raspberries on top of the firmed chocolate filling.
Enjoy!