Life on the estate Chocolate and toasted halzenut tartelet

Preparing the shortcrust pastry : 

To make homemade shortcrust pastry, mix the flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder, and softened butter in a mixing bowl.

Add the eggs and mix again until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough.

With the pleasure of anticipation, let the dough rest (ideally prepare the tart shells the day before) before shaping your tart base.

Preparing the chocolate filling:

Heat the cream without bringing it to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate, stirring vigorously.

Add the softened butter while whisking continuously.

Add the egg, mix until fully combined, and set aside.

Baking:

Roll out the pastry and cut out circles 8 cm in diameter. Line tartlet molds with the pastry and bake blind in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F).

The tartlet shells should be baked after about 15 minutes.

Fill them with the chocolate mixture, lower the oven temperature to 140°C (285°F), and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The tartlets will still be slightly wobbly in the center — that’s when they are at their best, achieving a delicate balance between sweetness and bitterness, tenderness and intensity. Some foods are merely nourishment. Chocolate, of course, is something else entirely.

Plating:

Remove the tartlets from their rings and place them in the center of dessert plates.

Take a handful of hazelnuts, rub off their skins, roughly chop them, and place them in the oven for a few minutes to toast.

After about 15 minutes, their roasted aroma will fill the kitchen. Remove them from the oven and scatter them gracefully over the tartlets.

Chef’s tip:

Whether white, dark, or milk chocolate, this recipe can be adapted in the same proportions to suit different cocoa percentages.

From time to time, shake the oven rack to ensure the hazelnuts toast evenly.

Serving suggestion:

Emmanuel Cruse recommends pairing this dessert with a Château d’Issan 2000.