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You know that feeling when you bite into a chocolate, and it’s so good that you can’t help but close your eyes and savor the moment? Well, that’s how I feel every time I eat one of these Chocolate Cherry mini tarts. They’re my new favorite treat!
Chocolate Cherry Mini Tarts: The Perfect Combo
There is something about chocolate and cherries that whenever I eat them together, I can’t help but think of black forest cake. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re both made with cherries and chocolate, or maybe it’s because they’re both so delicious. Either way, I always make sure to keep a few chocolate cherry mini tarts in my fridge for when I’m feeling like indulging in a little bit of sweetness.
The Layers
Just like any other dessert, chocolate cherry mini tarts are composed of different layers. First is the crust, which is typically made out of shortbread cookies. It is soft on the inside but with a right of crispiness on the outside. It’s buttery and matches perfectly with the sweetness and tartness of the filling.
The cherry filling or the cherry preserves is made out of sugar, and fresh cherries, with an added kick of liqueur. Lemon juice and vanilla extracts are also added to enhance all the fruity flavors of the cherry. If you don’t like adding liqueur to your filling, you can just simply remove it from the recipe.
For the chocolate ganache, the secret is using high-quality chocolate. Use premium dark chocolate that is between 72% and 85%. The final output will actually differ greatly as a result. You can make this ganache in advance to give it enough time to cool down before using it.
Tips and Tricks
- You can use a spoonful of almond extract in their place if you don’t have any amaretto or kirsch on hand.
- If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you can cut them into quarters with a paring knife and then remove the pit.
- Avoid chilling cherry filling before using it because the cornstarch will stiffen and make it difficult to spread.
Chocolate Cherry Mini Tarts
Ingredients
Cookie Crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
For the Filling:
- 1 lb. dark cherries washed and pitted
- 2 Tbsp. Amaretto liqueur
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
For the Chocolate Ganache Layer:
- 8 oz. chopped dark chocolate
- 6 oz. whipping cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Garnish: (optional)
- Chocolate shavings
- fresh cherries
- Desiccated coconut
Instructions
To make the cookie crust:
- Start making the dough by combining butter and sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment until light in color.
- Add the flour, vanilla extract, and baking powder. Mix it all until you form a dough.
- Divide cookie dough depending on how many tarts, pans, and sizes you use. Spread it evenly from the bottom up to the sides.
- Bake the cookie dough for 8 minutes at 350'F preheated oven.
- Set it aside to cool before adding the filling.
For the Cherry Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, stir the cherries, sugar, vanilla extract, liqueur, and lemon juice. Let it sit for 30 minutes until all the juices come out. This will be the base of your cherry sauce.
- Over medium-low heat, cook the cherry mixture for 5-8 minutes stirring frequently.
- Let the sugar dissolves entirely until it starts to bubble. Mash the cherries gently using your spoon as you stir.
- Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and half a cup of hot juice over it. Stir until fully dissolved. Stir it in the cherry mixture until there are no more lumps.
- Continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the liquid has thickened and is no longer cloudy.
- Set the cherry filling aside to cool, but don't refrigerate it to the point of being cold.
For the Chocolate Ganache Layer:
- Put the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and place it in the microwave.
- Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.
- After letting them sit for 10 minutes, gently whisk the mixture until a sauce forms with the cream and chocolate. It will still look grainy and separated at first but will smooth out as you keep stirring.
To assemble:
- Scoop cherry filling at the bottom of your cookie cups.
- Then add a spoonful of cooled ganache on top.
- Garnish it with fresh cherries and sprinkle with desiccated coconut.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Dessert Recipe
Love healthy baking recipes? You could try these simple recipes at home to impress your loved ones. Perfect for after-meal treats, coffee, and tea parties with friends and family!
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cups
To Wrap It All Up
Overall, these chocolate cherry mini tarts were pretty good! The crust was nice buttery, and the filling was appropriately sweet, with a good balance of chocolate and cherry. Try baking this at home if you’re looking for a dessert that’s not too complicated to make but will still impress your guests. Let us know how they turn out – we’d love to hear from you.
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