Ganache is a rich luxurious chocolate filling or glaze made from combining heavy cream and dark chocolate. Paired with a buttery shortbread cookie crust, and you have a chocolate lover’s dream dessert!
Mini Tart Shells
I used my chocolate and vanilla bean shortbread sugar cookie recipes to make the shells for the tarts pictured, but I have 31 shortbread sugar cookie recipes that will work.
You could make Mexican hot chocolate shells, and sprinkle some cinnamon on the ganache. Candy cane cookie shells, filled with white chocolate ganache, and topped with candy cane crumbles would be cute for Christmas. Chocolate and peanut butter are always a winning combo, so you can make peanut butter cookie shells. Almond, pistachio, or macadamia cookie shells, chocolate filling, and chopped nuts all sound delicious. Mix and match and customize these to your liking.
Shortbread Sugar Cookie Recipes
Tart Pans
I have a ton of mini tart pans that I’ve purchased over the years, but these tart pans are my absolute favorite. They make pretty little tartlets, don’t rust, they’re dishwasher safe, the perfect size for 2-3 bite tartlets, and best of all, the tarts pop right out of them and do not stick.
You can also use a muffin tin if you already have that on hand and don’t want to purchase new bakeware.
I have a comprehensive tutorial on how to make the tartlet shells. There are step-by-step pictures, more recipes, and tips and tricks.
Because you will not be further baking tart shells after filling with ganache, you want to fully bake shells before filling.
Ganache Ingredients
You really want to use good quality chocolate and butter for your ganache. And I highly recommend using a European butter for this recipe.
There is no added sugar in ganache, so use the appropriate chocolate to achieve the level of sweetness you desire. I prefer dark chocolate, so I used 70% dark chocolate for my ganache. But you can make ganache with milk, or even white chocolate. You will have to adjust your chocolate to cream ratio if using anything other than dark chocolate. If using milk or white chocolate, decrease cream to 1 cup, and then adjust thickness accordingly following guidelines in the troubleshooting section.
If you bake a lot, I recommend investing in a bag of Callebaut “callets” (chocolate chips). I use these for any recipe that calls for chocolate chips, I temper them to use as dipping chocolate, and they’re also what I use to make cocoa bombs. Stored properly, milk chocolate will keep for a year, and dark chocolate for nearly 2 years.
Callets are only sold in bulk 5.5 lb bags, and cost about $10/lb if purchased online. Amazon charges more for the product, but you won’t have to pay for shipping. Online restaurant supply companies charge a little less, but the shipping is usually a little pricey. If you have access to a restaurant supply in your area, that’s where you’ll find the best prices.
How to Make Ganache
Step 1
- Measure out chocolate and butter in a metal or glass bowl.
- If using a chocolate bar, chop chocolate into small pieces.
Step 2
- Place cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Pour cream over chocolate and butter and allow to sit for several minutes.
Step 3
- With a spatula, mix chocolate. Don’t use a whisk, as you don’t want to incorporate too much air into your ganache.
- At first your ganache will look like it’s not incorporating, but keep stirring. Movement will distribute heat and continue to melt any bits of un-melted chocolate.
Step 4
- Eventually you will get a smooth, shiny, fully incorporated chocolate ganache filling.
Troubleshooting
- If you have any bits of un-melted chocolate, pop the bowl (as long as it’s not metal) into a microwave for 10 second increments until melted.
- If your ganache is too thin, you can add a few more bits of chocolate and stir them in. If they don’t fully melt, again, pop that bowl into a microwave for 10 seconds.
- If your chocolate is too thick, you can add a bit more warm cream, a tablespoon at a time, until desired thickness is achieved.
Assembling Tarts
- Immediately pour warm ganache into fully baked tart shells, then top with desired toppings.
- You can also place add-ins like candy, chopped nuts, caramel…etc, in the bottom of your tart shells before filling with ganache.
- Refrigerate tarts until ganache has set.
- Tarts will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but are best served as soon as ganache has set, or within 24 hours.
- I recommend removing your tarts from the fridge at least an hour before serving to allow them to come to room temperature.
Ganache Tart Toppings
You can fill or top your ganache tarts with anything that pairs well with chocolate. Candy, nuts, fresh fruit, dehydrated or dried fruit, sea salt, caramel, chocolate curls, sprinkles, whipped cream, marshmallow, meringue, or pretzels. These are also amazing without any topping. They’re cookie shells filled with fudgy chocolate, so you really can’t go wrong here.
Chocolate Ganache Tartlets
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- spatula
- whisk
- mixing bowls
- paring knife
- cling wrap
- 3" round cookie cutter
- cookie sheet
- large knife
- tart tamper, shot glass, or condiment ramekin
Ingredients
Vanilla Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or extract of your choice
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Ganache
- 6 ounces good dark chocolate (chips, callets, or chopped)
- 3 tablespoons butter (use good quality European butter)
- 1 ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
To make dough and tartlet shells
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour and cornstarch) together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
- Add egg and extract(s) and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
- Turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
- Knead, roll out ¼" thick using flour, cut out 3" circles of cookie dough, and gently press dough circles into sides and bottoms of tart pans.
- Use a tart tamper, shot glass, or condiment ramekin to press dough flat into bottom of tart pans. Remove excess dough from tart pans with knife or by gently pressing with the palm of your hand.
- Gently press dough against sides of tart pans so that it rises about ⅛" above the top of the tart pan.
- Freeze filled tart pans until dough is firm before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Fully bake for 18-25 minutes, until edges begin to darken in color.
- Immediately after removing shells from oven, use your tart tamper, shot glass, or condiment ramekin to tamp down inside of tart shell while still hot.
- Once cool, remove shells from pans.
Ganache Filling and Tart Assembly
- Measure out chocolate and butter in a metal or glass bowl. If using a chocolate bar, chop chocolate into small pieces.
- Place cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Pour cream over chocolate and butter and allow to sit for several minutes.
- With a spatula, mix chocolate. Don't use a whisk, as you don't want to incorporate too much air into your ganache. At first you ganache will look like it's not incorporating, but keep stirring. Movement will distribute heat and continue to melt any bits of un-melted chocolate.
- Immediately pour warm ganache into fully baked tart shells, then top with desired toppings.
- You can also place add-ins like candy, chopped nuts, caramel…etc, in the bottom of your tart shells before filling with ganache.
- Refrigerate tarts until ganache has set.
- Tarts will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but are best served as soon as ganache has set, or within 24 hours.
- I recommend removing your tarts from the fridge at least an hour before serving to allow them to come to room temperature.
Video
Notes
- You can make chocolate tart shells by replacing ½ cup of flour with ½ cup of cocoa powder in the cookie dough recipe.
- Pressing the dough above the height of the tart pans will prevent the sides of the tart shells from sinking down too low during baking.
- Freezing shells for 10-20 minutes before baking will prevent your dough from shrinking down too much during baking. Freeze until they feel firm to the touch.
- Tamping down inside of shells after baking will allow more room for filling.
- If you have any bits of un-melted chocolate, pop the bowl (as long as it’s not metal) into a microwave for 10 second increments until melted.
- If your ganache is too thin, you can add a few more bits of chocolate and stir them in. If they don’t fully melt, again, pop that bowl into a microwave for 10 seconds.
- If your chocolate is too thick, you can add a bit more warm cream, a tablespoon at a time, until desired thickness is achieved.
- You can fill or top your ganache tarts with anything that pairs well with chocolate. Candy, nuts, fresh fruit, dehydrated or dried fruit, sea salt, caramel, chocolate curls, sprinkles, whipped cream, marshmallow, meringue, or pretzels. These are also amazing without any topping. They’re cookie shells filled with fudgy chocolate, so you really can’t go wrong here.
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