Chocolate Ganache Tartlets

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Buttery shortbread cookie shells filled with fudgy chocolate ganache

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Resting Time4

Total Time4 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate tart, ganache, ganache tart, ganache tartlets, mini ganache tart

Servings: tartlets

Calories: 271kcal

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.

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.

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.