Mocha Custard Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Make custard:
• Beat together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Heat milk in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling. Add one third of hot milk to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour remainder of milk into yolk mixture, whisking, then transfer to saucepan. Simmer, whisking constantly, until very thick, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate, liqueur, butter, and espresso powder. Let stand until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Force custard through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover surface of custard with wax paper and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.
• Make tartlet shells while custard chills:
• Pulse together flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and vanilla in a food processor until dough is smooth and begins to form a ball (it will be soft, like cookie dough). Turn out dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a ball. Flatten dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours (overnight).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Break off 1-teaspoon pieces of dough and press evenly into molds with floured fingers to form shells about 1/16 inch thick, pinching off excess from rim and making bottoms slightly thinner than sides. Arrange molds 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan and chill until dough is firm again, about 30 minutes.
• Bake in middle of oven, rotating pan halfway through baking, until pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Transfer molds to a rack to cool, then carefully remove shells from molds. Make more tartlet shells in same manner if desired.
• Assemble tartlets:
• Fill pastry bag with custard and pipe decoratively into shells.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water, let soften 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and place over low heat. Add sugar, chocolate, espresso powder, and salt. Whisk until chocolate has melted, espresso powder is dissolved, and mixture is well combined, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk in milk and strain mixture into a large measuring cup (for easy pouring). Divide evenly among six 6-ounce coffee cups or custard cups. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water, let soften 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; whisk in sugar and espresso powder until dissolved, about 1 minutes. Whisk in chocolate until melted (be careful not to let it burn), about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk softened gelatin into cream mixture until gelatin has dissolved about 1 minute. Stir in milk and salt. Strain into a large liquid measuring cup (for easy pouring). Divide evenly among six 6-ounce coffee cups or custard cups. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

Steps:

• Place milk and cream in a 4-cup measure. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in a high-power oven with a carousel for 2 minutes.
• While milk is cooking, whisk together eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Combine cocoa and coffee in a small bowl.
• Remove milk from oven and pour into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in Irish Cream.
• Stir a scant tablespoon of the custard mixture into the cocoa and coffee to form a smooth paste. Scrape the cocoa mixture back into the custard and whisk until well combined.
• Pour into 1/2-cup ramekins and skim any foam from the top of each. Place cups, evenly spaced, around the carousel. Cook, uncovered, at 50 percent power for 6 minutes. Custard will still be partly liquid.
• Remove from oven. Let stand, covered with a towel, for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until firm and well chilled.

Steps:

• Crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Stir together yolk and cream; drizzle over flour mixture, pulsing several times to combine. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing evenly into bottom and up sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prick bottom of crust at 1-inch intervals with the tines of a fork. Bake until set and dry, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, temper both ice creams in refrigerator until softened but not melting, about 20 minutes. Stir together ice creams until no streaks remain; transfer to cooled crust, spreading all the way to edges and smoothing top with an offset spatula. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour (or wrap in plastic at this point and freeze up to 1 week).
• Caramel Meringue: In a small saucepan, combine 6 tablespoons sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon water. Cover; cook over medium heat, swirling a few times, until boiling and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Uncover; continue boiling, undisturbed, until mixture turns medium amber, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Carefully add cream (it will bubble and splatter); stir until smooth. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
• Combine egg whites, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over (but not in) a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly just until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (it should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers). Remove from heat; beat on high speed until stiff peaks form and mixture is no longer warm to the touch, 7 to 9 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low and beat in a scant 1/4 cup caramel just to combine (do not overmix; caramel will still be warm). Spoon meringue over ice cream and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours (tart can be wrapped in plastic at this point and frozen up to 3 days). Cover and refrigerate remaining caramel until ready to serve.
• Remove tart from pan; transfer to a cake plate. Drizzle top with remaining caramel (or serve alongside); sprinkle with cocoa nibs or decorate with chocolate espresso beans. Cut into wedges, dipping knife blade in hot water and wiping clean between each cut to ensure clean slices.

Steps:

• first make the pastry. sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and icing sugar into a bowl. Rub in butter until crumbly. Quickly mix in the eggs until everything comes together with the blade of a knife. Wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 mins. Roll out pastry and line a 21cm fluted loose-bottom tart tin. Chill for 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• line the pastry case with parchment paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 mins. Remove beans and cook for a further 5 mins. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
• To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave on High for 1-2 mins, then cool. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, yolk, nuts and flour. Fold in the chocolate and coffee, pour into the case and bake for 25-30 mins, until crumbs cling to an inserted skewer (the middle of the torte won't have set completely; it will continue to firm up out of the oven). Serve cut into thin slices, topped with crème fraîche or cream.