Spiked Dark Chocolate Ganache Tarts

Nothing says "I love you" more than chocolate... or how about Mini Spiked Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart?! There's these Chocolate & Vanilla Sandwich Cookies that are cute enough to win anyone over and Silky Dark Chocolate Truffles that are so rich and smooth and made with just 2 ingredients. Then there are these little truffle tarts that are little bites of heaven!

I drenched these in heart sprinkles because they totally deserved it. I also drenched them in booze. Sue me. As a matter of fact, you could probably make all of these items since you can use the same ganache for all 3 treats.

I spiked these tartlets with a little bit of brandy for an extra kick (...and to help get your valentine a little tipsy. You're welcome). They're so rich and intensely chocolatey. If you're a dark chocolate fan, then you will love these.

They really do make a perfect Valentine's Day treat. They're simple and straightforward. The filling is right there in your face and it's not hidden by any whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, nuts or fruit. So if you just want to put your love out there on this holiday, you should definitely express it with these chocolate-laden tartlets. 

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART

• Butter - butter is crucial to making flavourful, flaky pastry. You'll use cold butter for this recipe so you can take it right from the fridge.

• Granulated sugar - just a bit of sugar sweetens the pastry a tad and keeps it tender.

• Egg yolk - all you need is one egg yolk to make this pastry come together. It adds a richer flavour and also makes it extra tender.

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour makes wonderful flaky pastry.

• Salt - don't leave out the salt! It really gives the pastry flavour.

• Dark chocolate - you'll need dark chocolate to make the ganache. You can use anything between 50% and 70% dark chocolate. You can chop it up from a bar of chocolate or use these 63% dark chocolate chips.

• Cream - you will need 35% heavy whipping cream to make the filling which is a simple ganache. It is so easy to make and incredibly delicious!

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART

• STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.

• STEP 2). Mix in butter. Using a pastry blender or your clean fingers, cut or rub butter into flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. The butter should be well dispersed with only very small pieces remaining.

• STEP 3). Mix in egg. Whisk egg yolk with water in a small bowl and drizzle into flour mixture while gently stirring with a fork. Continue to stir until dry ingredients are moistened and it holds together in clumps. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and it bring together in a ball with your hands, turning it frequently and pressing in loose bits until it is cohesive.

• STEP 4). Chill. Shape dough into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

• STEP 5). Roll. Place dough on lightly floured work surface and roll it out to ⅛ -inch thickness, using more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Use a 2.5-inch round to cut out circles. Gently fit the dough rounds into the base of a miniature 24-cup muffin tin, gently pressing the dough into the bottom and allowing the edges to fold and crimp. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

• STEP 6). Bake. Prick the bottom of chilled tart shells with a fork and bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

• STEP 7). To make the filling. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepot over medium-low heat and pour immediately over chopped chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir gently with a rubber spatula, starting in the center and working your way out to the edges until completely melted, smooth and glossy. Stir in brandy. Let mixture cool at room temperature until it reaches spreading consistency, about 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes. Pour ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe it into cooled tart shells. Decorate as you wish.