Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Decadent Double Chocolate Tartlets


Chocolate is here and it is luscious, thick, rich and creamy. The best part is it's totally friendly and low in carbohydrates. I have been experimenting for months to create the perfect blend. Just sweet enough but leaning to the dark chocolate side. I can proudly say it is finally here and I have created a perfect double chocolate tartlet for your pleasure that your family will never know is low in carbs. I have also used a very creative crust, the wonton wrapper. Easily found in most supermarkets in the produce department, they quickly become a golden brown and crispy cup to hold my decadent double chocolate custard.

I've tested using wonton wrappers as a crust several different ways with different oven temperatures and cooking times. This seems to be the best method for the most even browning of the crust. The results are delicately browned and crispy crusts. I take extra precautions by lightly spraying the muffin tin with vegetable spray so that they can be easily removed once cooled down. Buttering the inside produces a flavorful and crisp crust on the inside.


Decadent Double Chocolate Tartlets

Ingredients:

6 wonton wrappers for the crust
1 Tbsp. melted butter for the crust
1/2 cup whole milk
4 Tbsp. Splenda
1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large egg yolk
2 ounces unsweetened bakers chocolate, chopped fine
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
Garnishes:
1 tsp. sifted cocoa powder, optional
sugar free whipped topping, optional
1 tsp. shaved chocolate, optional

To Prepare Crusts:
 
Preheat oven to 375'

Lightly spray muffin tin with vegetable spray. Arrange the wonton wrappers in the cups. Lightly brush the inside of each with a little melted butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Begin checking them at about 20 minutes. As they begin to brown it can happen quickly. If the edges are becoming too brown before the bottoms are, then loosely tent aluminum foil over the pan and return to bake until the bottoms are done. Set aside and cool. If you are not filling them right away store in an airtight container after they are completely cooled and dry. If you are lucky enough to find the round wrappers that's best but the square wrappers are all I could find and they worked great. Makes for a very rustic looking tartlet.

To prepare chocolate custard filling:

In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine the milk with the Splenda and unsweetened cocoa powder using a whisk. Heat mixture until everything is dissolved and mixture is steaming. This is called scalding.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl and lightly beat with a fork to break. Slowly stream in the milk mixture one tablespoonful at a time while whisking the yolk. Repeat this two or three times until the egg is warmed by the mixture. This process is called tempering. You are bringing the egg yolks up to the temperature of the mixture so you don't shock it and scramble it. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate, butter and salt, whisking the entire time until smooth and creamy. It will be very thick. Add the vanilla and continue to whisk until it has thoroughly blended with the chocolate mixture. Pour the finished chocolate custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is placed directly on the custard so that a skin does not form. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight if desired. Divide the chocolate custard evenly between the six crusts just prior to serving, about two tablespoons of the chocolate custard in each and garnish if desired.

This is a great recipe to prepare the components a day ahead of a holiday and simply fill the crusts just before serving.
 
Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 163.6
Total Fat 13.3 g
Saturated Fat 7.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.0 g
Cholesterol 89.1 mg
Sodium 78.2 mg
Potassium 151.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10.4 g
Dietary Fiber 2.0 g
Sugars 1.3 g
Protein 5.0 g

2 comments:

  1. looked good till i saw the phospherous content..diabetic AND stage 4 kidney disease will keep me from this one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so sorry. Perhaps the upcoming dessert recipes will suit you better. I hope so and I wish you all the best in your battles.

    ReplyDelete