Chocolate Peppermint Tarts With Currants And Berries Recipes

Steps:

• In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 4 tablespoons butter; stir in cracker crumbs and sugar. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of two 4-in. fluted tart pans with removable bottoms. Freeze for 1 hour or until firm., In a small saucepan, combine the cream, cinnamon and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips until melted. Pour into crusts. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour., Just before serving, arrange berries over filling; sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Lightly spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray. Prepare cookie dough as directed on package except--use 3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon water, 1 egg and the peppermint extract. Shape dough into 24(1-inch) balls; place in muffin cups.
• Bake at 375° F for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately make indentation in center of each cookie with end of wooden spoon to form a cup. Cool 30 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, crushed peppermint candies, butter, milk, and red food color with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spoon frosting into decorating bag with large star tip (#5). Pipe into each cookie cup. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Pulse flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining. With the machine running, add water in a slow, steady stream, until dough just holds together. (Dough should not be sticky.)
• On a lightly floured work surface, shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days).
• Make the filling: Bring cream, sugar, mint, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk of dough to a 16-by-6-inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 13 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch rectangular fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a sharp paring knife, trim excess dough flush with the edges of pan. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Line dough with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are dry, about 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment. Bake until just darkened, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks.
• With a pastry brush, coat the bottom of each tart shell with an even layer of melted chocolate. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl. Let stand until softened.
• Remove mint from cream mixture, and bring cream mixture to a simmer. Whisk in softened gelatin until it dissolves. Remove from heat, and stir in yogurt.
• Divide cream mixture between tart shells. Carefully transfer to the refrigerator. Chill, uncovered, until set, at least 4 hours (or overnight).
• Carefully unmold tarts. Top 1 tart with red currants and 1 with strawberries. Garnish both tarts with mint stems. Slice and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Stir together sour cream and 3/4 cup sugar. Scrape in vanilla bean seeds; stir to combine. Discard pod. Refrigerate filling, covered, until firm, about 3 hours or up to 2 days, before using.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press dough into a 13 3/4-by-4 1/4-by-1-inch oblong tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim edges of dough flush with pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake until golden and crisp, about 18 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Stir together blackberries, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon water, basil, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring gently, until berries have softened and released their juices and mixture is warmed through, about 2 minutes.
• Spoon sour cream filling into tart shell. Top with the berry mixture. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Steps:

• Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water. Add the yolk mixture to the food processor and pulse until it is evenly distributed. The mixture will appear crumbly, but should hold together very easily when pressed. Add a bit more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disc. Wrap the disc in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick. Gently fit the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the top evenly. Repair any cracks or tears in the dough with the trimmings and reserve the trimmings, wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature, to use later if necessary. Freeze for 30 minutes.
• While the shell is chilling, heat oven to 375 degrees. Just before baking, dock the shell all over with a fork, and line the bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Bake the shell until it is cooked through and crisp, about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and, using the leftover dough, repair any cracks that may have formed. Cool the shell on a rack while you prepare the rest of the tart.
• Make the white chocolate ganache: Heat the 1 3/4 cups heavy cream and mint leaves in a saucepan over medium-high until simmering. Turn off heat and let cream steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Strain the cream through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the leaves to extract as much cream as possible. Reserve 1 cup of the cream, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of cream until simmering and pour it over the white chocolate in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk the mixture until smooth, then let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. If the chocolate is resisting melting, set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until smooth.
• Add the butter and a pinch of salt and whip the ganache on high speed for 10 minutes. It will go from slightly translucent to opaque and aerated. Taste and add the peppermint extract if desired. Pour the whipped ganache into the cooled tart shell, smooth the top and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Make the bittersweet ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the chocolate, butter and salt to a heat-safe bowl and whisk in the hot cream until smooth. If the chocolate is resisting melting, set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until smooth.
• Use a spatula to spread the bittersweet ganache over the cooled white chocolate ganache. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Just before serving, make the mint cream topping: Whip the reserved 1 cup of infused cream with the confectioners' sugar to soft peaks. Add peppermint extract, if desired. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the ganache and serve the tart cold. Wipe off your knife in between slices for the cleanest cuts.