PATISSERIE ROMANTIQUE: RUBY CHOCOLATE HEARTS & LOVE LETTER HAND PIES

Hosted by Allegra & Oriana of EGL Treats

For printable version, click hee

Tools ❣

• Parchment Paper or Silpats, for sheet pans

• Parchment Paper, cut into 4” square (pattern for pastry letters)

• Plastic Wrap

• Tart Pan or Mini Tart Pans

• Pie Weights (or just dried beans or rice!)

• 2-3 Sheet pans

• 2 Piping bags, optional: decorative piping tip

• 2 Spatulas

• Whisk

• Small Knife

• 1 Heat-Safe Bowl

• 1 Small Pot

• Optional, but recommended: Food Processor

RUBY CHOCOLATE TARTS

Ingredients ❣
For Chocolate Tart Dough

• 1 Large Egg Yolk

• 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream

• ½ Teaspoon Vanilla (or Chocolate Extract!)

• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour

• 2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar

• ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder

• ¼ Teaspoon Salt

• 8 Tablespoons Butter, cold, in ½” cubes

For Ganache Tart Filling

• 10oz chocolate (we will use Ruby, but you can use what you like best!)

• 1 ¼ Cups Cream

• 2 Tablespoons Honey

• Optional Red Food Color

For Decorating

• Whipped Cream

• Fresh Fruit

Method ❣
Please note that tart filling will need  at least 2 hours to set. Tart dough can be made in advance, up to 2  days. Baked tart shells can also be made in advance, up to 2 days.

For Chocolate Tart Dough ❧

1. In a small bowl or mixing cup, combine yolk, cream and vanilla. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl or food process bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa and salt.

3. Add butter cubes to flour mixture. Use food processor or fork to work in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

4. Add egg mixture, with process running or by hand, until a smooth dough just comes together.

5. Plastic wrap dough and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

6. Place dough at room temperature to soften a bit, then roll out to about ¼” thickness.

7. Fit dough to tart shell(s), cover shells loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (10- 20 min. depending on size).

8. While dough is in freezer, preheat oven to 375F.

9. Place  parchment inside tart shells, fill with pie weights and place on baking  sheet. Bake on the middle rack of preheated oven for 14-30 minutes  (depending on size), rotating half way through.

10. Remove parchment and pie weights, return shells to oven and bake additional 3-6 minutes.

11. Transfer tart pans in shell to cooling rack, let cool completely before filling.

For Ganache Tart Filling ❧

1. Place chocolate in a heat-safe bowl, set aside.

2. Add cream and honey to small pot, bring to a simmer.

3. Pour hot cream mix over the chocolate, let sit for 5 minutes.

4. Starting from the center of the bowl and moving outward, mix the ganache until smooth (Add color, if desired).

5. Pour into cooled baked tart shell, place in fridge to set (about 2 hours).

6. Decorate tarts with whipped cream and fresh fruits.

For Vegan Variation ❣

For dough:
See vegan tart dough recipe below

For the ganache

Use  vegan chocolate. Replace the cream and honey with an equal amount  coconut cream and liquid sweetener of your choice (agave is especially  nice!)

For whipped decoration

Use coconut cream, or a whipping cream alternative (such as Silk
makes)

For Gluten Free ❣
See gluten free tart dough recipe below

LOVE LETTER HAND PIES

Ingredients ❣

For Pastry Love Letters

• Pie pastry/dough (store bought is fine)

• Pie filling or fruit jam (cooked down to a thick consistency)

• Left over egg white from tart dough, for brushing on sides

• Sparkling Sugar, optional

For Pastry Love Letters ❧

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Get 4” square of parchment and a heart cookie cutter (or parchment heart) ready.

3. Roll out pie pastry and cut out shapes. Transfer envelope bases to lined sheet pan.

4. Place  fruit filling in the center, being careful not to over fill. Fold in  sides and bottom flap. Wet back of heart with a little cream, place on  center of “envelope”.

5. Brush sides and top fold edge with cream, sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

6. Bake 15-20 minutes, until slightly browned, rotating half way through. Let cool completely before removing from baking sheet.

GLUTEN-FREE TART DOUGH ❧

*For vegan variation, replace butter with margarine or plant based butter substitute.

Ingredients ❣

For Chocolate Tart Dough

• ½ Cup Almond Meal

• ¼ Cup Rice Flour

• ½ Cup Oat Flour

• ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder

• 2 Tablespoons Tapioca Flour

• ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar

• ¼ Teaspoon Salt

• 6 Tablespoons Butter, cut into ½” cubes

• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Method ❧

1. Preheat Oven to 350F and lightly grease your tart pan(s).

2. Combine dry ingredients in food processor or large bowl.

3. Add  butter cubes to flour mixture. Use food processor or fork to work in  butter until mixture forms large, moist clumps of dough (will be loose,  not come together completely). Add more butter cubes if your mixture is  too dry/crumbly.

4. Place dough mix in greased pan(s), patting into bottom and sides. Place tart pan(s) on a baking sheet.

5. Bake until golden brown, 15-30 minutes, depending on size of tart(s).

6. Transfer tart pans in shell to cooling rack, let cool completely before filling

GLUTEN-FREE PIE DOUGH ❧

*For  vegan variation, replace butter with margarine or plant based butter  substitute. You can also replace the GF All Purpose Flour with regular  AP Flour.

Ingredients ❣

For Pie Dough

• 1 Cup Almond Meal

• 1 1/3 Cup 1 to 1 replacement All Purpose GF All Purpose Flour

• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

• ¾ Teaspoon Salt

• 8 Tablespoons Butter

• Ice Water, as needed

Method ❧

1. Combine dry ingredients in food processor or large bowl.

2. Add  butter cubes to flour mixture. Use food processor or fork to work in  butter until mixture forms a mostly cohesive dough (some crumbly bits  are fine).

3. Roll out pie dough between sheets of parchment paper, to ¼” thickness.

4. Following remaining shaping and baking instructions from original pie love letter recipes.