-CRUST-
1 c All purpose flour
1/4 c Plus 2 tablespoons
-unsweetened cocoa
; powder
1 pn Salt
1/2 c Unsalted butter; room
-temperature (1
; stick)
1/2 c Packed golden brown sugar
1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
-FILLING AND TRUFFLES-
1 1/4 c Whipping cream
2 tb Unsalted butter; (1/4 stick)
10 oz Bittersweet; (not
-unsweetened) or
; semisweet
; chocolate, chopped
3 tb Cognac or brandy
2/3 c Finely chopped toasted
-pecans
4 Paper strips; (1/2-inch-wide
-by
; 5-inch-long)
Unsweetened cocoa powder
FOR CRUST:
Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat
butter, brown sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until creamy. Add
flour mixture and stir with fork until coarse crumbs form. Gather
dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until
beginning to firm, about
20 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Press 1 dough piece evenly over
bottom and up sides of each 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan with
removable bottom. Freeze 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Line crusts with foil; fill with
dried beans or pie weights. Bake crusts until set, about 20 minutes.
Remove foil and beans (some crust may stick to foil). Bake until
crusts feel dry, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to rack; cool
completely.
FOR FILLING AND TRUFFLES:
Combine cream and butter in medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until
butter melts. Add chocolate; stir until melted. Whisk in Cognac. Cool
filling 15 minutes.
Spoon enough filling into each crust to fill (about 1/2 cup for each);
reserve remaining filling. Refrigerate tartlets and remaining filling
overnight.
Line small baking sheet with foil. Form remaining filling into balls,
using generous rounded 1/2 teaspoonful for each. Place on prepared
sheet. Freeze 15 minutes. Roll each truffle in chopped pecans,
coating completely. Freeze until truffles are firm, about 1 hour.
Let tartlets stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Place paper in
lattice pattern atop 1 tartlet. Sift cocoa over. Remove strips.
Repeat with remaining tartlets. Garnish each with 3 truffles.
Makes 4 Tartlets (4 to 8 Servings).
Yields
1 servings