Chocolate tart
When I started making tarts at home, the hardest part for me was choosing a filling recipe that would set well without gelatin. I tried various options until I found a simple one with chocolate cream and no complicated ingredients. This tart has always turned out just right: dense chocolate, a crumbly crust, and alongside, a few strawberries or toasted almonds – enough for a balanced dessert. Quick Info Total time: about 4 hours (including cooling the dough) Preparation time: 40 minutes Baking time: 25 minutes (or 15 + 10 minutes if baking the crust separately) Servings: 4 mini tarts or one large tart Difficulty: medium Recipe type: dessert, homemade tart Ingredients For the tart dough: 200 g all-purpose flour 60 g sugar 1 packet vanilla sugar 125 g cold butter (cut into cubes) 2 egg yolks 1 tablespoon sour cream 1 pinch of salt For the chocolate cream: 200 g Milka chocolate 200 g cream 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon rum essence For decoration: Fresh strawberries Almond flakes Preparation method 1. Tart dough I put the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and cold butter cut into cubes in the bowl of the food processor. I mixed briefly, just enough to form a sandy-looking mixture. Separately, I mixed the two egg yolks with the sour cream, then added them to the processor mixture and mixed just until the dough came together. I took the dough out onto the table, sprinkled a little flour, and gently shaped it into a disc. I wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for a few hours (two hours works too, but the longer it sits, the better it becomes). 2. Shaping and baking the crusts After cooling, I took the dough out and divided it into four equal parts. On a floured surface, I rolled each part thin and placed the discs into the tart pans. If you want to bake the crusts separately, place them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, then pour in the cream and bake for another 10 minutes. If you prefer to bake the filled tart, skip this step and go directly to the cream. 3. Chocolate cream I put the cream in a pot over low heat, being careful not to let it boil. I added the broken chocolate and stirred until it completely melted. I took the pot off the heat, added the egg yolk and rum essence, and mixed until smooth. I poured the cream into the molds, over the dough (unbaked or partially baked, depending on your choice), and put everything in the oven for about 25 minutes. The crust should be baked, and the cream should be set without being dry on the surface. 4. Cooling and decorating After baking, I let the tarts cool at room temperature, then put them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. I decorated them with slices of strawberries and almond flakes. Some strawberries dipped in chocolate add color but are optional. Why I make this recipe often It's one of the simplest and most reliable chocolate tarts. It doesn't have hard-to-find ingredients, the result is consistent, and the cream sets well without gelatin or special powders. It lasts in the fridge for a day or two, and you can adapt the decoration according to the season. Tips and variations Tips Use the coldest butter for the dough; otherwise, it becomes hard to roll out. If you want a thinner crust, divide the dough into more small shapes. Let the cream cool completely before cutting the tart for a good texture. Substitutions Milka chocolate can be replaced with another milk chocolate or one with a higher cocoa content, but the final taste will be different. Whipping cream (minimum 30% fat) works just as well instead of regular cream. Vanilla sugar can be replaced with vanilla extract. Variations You can add a little grated orange zest to the cream for a different flavor. Chopped nuts or hazelnuts can be used for decoration instead of almonds. You can add some raspberries or blueberries on the side when serving. Serving ideas The tarts are good on their own, but alongside strawberries or fresh berries, they become lighter. You can add a bit of whipped cream or a scoop of plain ice cream when serving. Frequently asked questions 1. Do I have to use a food processor for the dough? No, you can make the dough by hand, rubbing the cold butter into the flour with your fingers, then adding the rest of the ingredients. It takes a bit longer, but the result is the same. 2. Can I use liquid cream instead of sour cream? Yes, the cream works well with liquid whipping cream as long as it has no additives and is rich enough. 3. Can I make the tart with chocolate cream without eggs? Without the yolk, the cream will have a less set texture, but if you can't use eggs, omit the yolk and chill the cream better before serving. 4. Can I bake the tart with just the crust and then add the cream without baking? Not with this recipe – the cream needs a few minutes in the oven to set. If you want a no-bake cream, you'll need a different recipe. 5. What do I do if the crust breaks when transferring to the pans? You can repair it with your fingers directly in the pan. The tart dough is quite forgiving; it doesn't need to be perfect in shape, especially for mini tarts. Nutritional values Approximately, for one serving (out of four): Calories: ~520 kcal Protein: 6 g Fat: 31 g Carbohydrates: 53 g Values are approximate and can vary depending on the chocolate and cream used. It's a richer dessert, so portion according to preferences. Storage and reheating The chocolate tart keeps best in the fridge, covered, for 1-2 days. The crust remains crumbly, and the cream does not harden excessively. I do not recommend reheating – the cream changes texture. If you want to serve it softer, leave it at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before cutting.
Preparation
To start, I put the flour together with the sugar (plus the vanilla sugar), salt, and cubed butter in the bowl of the mixer. I mixed the ingredients by pulsing a few times in short bursts until the dough resembled flakes. In a bowl, I mixed the 2 egg yolks with the sour cream, then added them to the mixer bowl and mixed until I obtained a compact dough. On a work surface, I sprinkled flour, gently rolled out the dough, and shaped it into a disc. I wrapped it in plastic wrap and left it in the refrigerator for a few hours. It’s good to let it chill to make it as flaky as possible. I took the dough out of the refrigerator and divided it into four. I sprinkled flour on the work surface and rolled each piece of dough into discs, then placed them in the tart molds. I prepared the chocolate cream: I put the sour cream in a pot over heat and added the chocolate broken into small pieces. I turned off the heat before the sour cream reached boiling point. I mixed until all the chocolate melted. I added the egg yolk and homogenized the cream. I poured the chocolate cream into the tart molds and put them in the oven for about 25 minutes. After taking the tarts out of the oven, I let them cool overnight, after which I decorated them, some with almond flakes, others with slices of strawberries. I dressed a few strawberries in chocolate for decoration, but... they disappeared too soon. Someone, I won’t say who, took them... :)) The tarts can be baked before being filled; in this case, bake them for about 15 minutes, and after filling them with cream, leave them for another 10 minutes maximum.
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