Chocolate Reindeer Tarts

Is late November an acceptable time to start creating Christmas recipes? I think so! Since I started my little blog I don’t think I remember myself not thinking about my next recipes and planning my content. Well lately my mind is overwhelmed with all the ideas I have and frankly I can’t wait to show you what I have under my sleeve or since its festive time under my Santa hat! I wanted to kick off the festive season with an elegant but at the same time playful tart. The base of the tart is a pate sucree which is essentially a sweet shortcrust pastry, filled with cranberry coulis, chocolate genoise sponge and finished with a whipping dark chocolate ganache. The tart will be topped with one cranberry that will go in the middle to resemble the nose and pretzels for the horns. These decadent and beautiful tarts are so worth the effort and will please kids and grownups!

Ingredients for the cranberry coulis

• Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are the star of the tarts and will give a much needed tanginess to the filling! Make sure to keep some aside for the noses!
• Clementine juice and zest: If clementines don’t say Christmas is here I don’t know what does! Make sure to add the juice and zest at end to ensure the clementine doesn’t lose its flavour. You can also use half an orange if you prefer.
•  Emptied vanilla pod: Ok I have said this before but let me repeat myself just in case. DO NOT EVER THROW YOUR EMPTY VANILLA PODS AWAY. Sorry for the caps but seriously the pods of the vanilla are wonderful for flavouring syrups, compotes and even cocktails!
• Ground cinnamon: What is Christmas without a bit of cinnamon?! You can also add other spices like nutmeg and ground cloves.
• Jam sugar: Jam sugar is basically caster sugar with pectin which will act as your thickening agent for your coulis. You can find it in all the big supermarkets.

Ingredients for the chocolate genoise

• Whole eggs: 2 whole eggs at room temperature will be used for the recipe.
• Caster sugar: Its fine texture makes it easier to dissolve and aerate the eggs.
• Plain flour: Plain flour or 00 flour is perfect for this light and airy sponge.
• Cocoa powder: Use a high quality cocoa powder for an intense flavour of chocolate in the sponge.
• Unsalted butter: Always use unsalted butter for baking. That way you can control the salt in your recipe.

Ingredients for the dark chocolate whipping ganache

• Single cream: We will use single cream for the first stage of our ganache as if you used double cream for both stages the ganache would have too much fat content and split.
• Double cream: Double cream will be added COLD at the end which will loosen the ganache and hence why it is called ‘’whipping’’. The ganache needs to chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours but ideally overnight. In this case good things do come to those who wait!
• Dark chocolate 54%: Since ganache has only few ingredients, be sure to use the highest quality chocolate for the best flavour.
• Glucose: I know what you are thinking! Do I have to?! Yes you do! Glucose is very cheap, found in most big supermarkets and it is a pantry essential if you want to learn how to bake like a pro! Glucose when added to ganache helps to reduce available water by chemically bonding with the water making for a more stable and shiny ganache.

Ingredients for the pate sucree

• Unsalted butter: Make sure to use unsalted butter at room temperature.
• Icing sugar: Icing sugar will sweeten the pastry slightly. If your sugar is too lumpy make sure to sieve it before you add it to the butter.
• 1 egg: One slightly beaten egg will bind the pastry together. Make sure to add it slowly and in stages.
• Plain flour: Its medium gluten content is perfect for a light and crumbly pastry.
• Salt: A bit of salt will balance out all the flavours in the pastry.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: These warm and hearty spices really make this tart base festive and delicious.

For the cranberry coulis

• 150g fresh cranberries (leave 5 aside for decorating the tarts)
• 1 clementine (zested and juiced)
• 50g jam sugar
• ½ emptied vanilla pod
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 50g water

For the dark chocolate whipping ganache

• 112g single cream
• 20g glucose
• 95g dark chocolate
• 225g double cream

For the chocolate genoise

• 100g whole eggs (about 2 eggs)
• 100g caster sugar
• 80g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder
• 25g butter 

For the spiced pate sucree (makes 5 / 8cm tart rings)

• 125g unsalted butter
• 100g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 250g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg

How to make the cranberry coulis

1. In a small sauce pan combine cranberries, jam sugar, emptied vanilla pod, cinnamon and water.
2. Simmer over medium heat for 10-15 until the cranberries have burst and softened.
3. You can cover with a piece of parchment paper while the cranberries cook so they do not dry out.
4. Remove saucepan from the heat and add the clementine juice and zest.
5. Process in a blender or a food processor until smooth and pureed.
6. Transfer to a clean container and let cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge.

How to make the chocolate whipping ganache

1. In medium heatproof bowl place the single cream, glucose and chocolate and heat in the microwave until hot. Make sure to stir your ganache every 15 seconds so it doesn’t burn. You can also do this over a double boiler on medium heat.
2. Mix the ganache with a spatula until smooth and no lumps of chocolate are visible. At this stage you can place the ganache in a blender and wiz until smooth just to be sure.
3. When you ganache is emulsified, add the double cream and whisk gently just until the double cream is incorporated (*see Notes).
4. Transfer to a clean container and cover with some cling film to touch and store in the fridge for at least 5 hours but ideally overnight until crystallised.

How to make the chocolate genoise

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a 25cm x 35cm tray (it’s ok if your tray is slightly bigger or smaller) with parchment paper.
2. Put the eggs and sugar in a clean, sterilised bowl. Whisk over a double boiler until the temperature reaches 40°C on a digital thermometer.
3. Transfer the sabayon to a standing mixer and with the whisk attached, continue to whisk to ribbon stage.
4. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder.
5. Carefully begin to fold the flour through the whisked sabayon mixture using a spatula.
6. When the flour is three-quarters folded through, take two large scoops of the mixture and add it to the melted butter (see Notes*).
7. Add the butter mixture to the sabayon mixture and continue to fold through. Mix until the mixture is incorporated and smooth.
8. Pour into the prepared tray and spread out evenly with a small cranked palette knife.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes until golden brown and the sponge springs back when pressed gently.

How to make the spiced patee sucree

1. Put the butter in a mixing bowl and beat until soft and smooth. Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Gradually incorporate the egg making sure the mix is completely emulsified.
3. Mix in the flour and salt and mix to a smooth homogenous mass.
4. Turn the dough into the work surface, shape it into a block and wrap it in clingfilm. Put the dough in the fridge and rest for 2-3 hours.
5. Take the rested dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface.
6. Roll the dough out to around 1 pound coin thickness, lightly flouring the work surface and dough when required to make it does not stick.
7. Cut the dough to large rounds about 3-5 cm bigger than the tart ring, depending on the size and depth of the tart. Gently place the rolled dough into the base of the tart ring.
8. Gently push the dough into place, ensuring that it sits against the edge and is pushed into the bottom corners.
9. Place the lined rings onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper
10. Trim the edges gently by running the rolling pin over the top edge of the tins.
11. Place in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven at 170°C fan.
13. To blind bake, rip squares of aluminium foil that are slightly bigger than the tart rings and push them gently in the middle of the tart.
14. Generously top with baking beans (or simply any beans you have in your pantry) and bake the tarts until they are lightly golden, around 10-15 minutes.
15. Remove the tarts from the oven, carefully remove the beans from the tart cases, and then return them to the oven to continue cooking until the bases of the tarts are slightly golden.
16. When completely cooled, use the fine side of a grater or a microplane and grate the top of the tarts to make them as flat as possible.

How to assemble the reindeer tarts

1. Once the tart shells have cooled we are ready to assemble.
2. Place the whipping ganache into a standing mixer with the whisk attached and whisk the ganache on medium speed being careful not to overwhip it. It will take around 30-50 seconds (*see Notes).
3. Start by spooning the cranberry coulis into the bottom of tarts, about 1 heaped tablespoon in each tart.
4. Next cut 4cm discs (or just slightly smaller than your tart depending on the size of them) of the chocolate genoise and place it on the top of each tart making it as flat as possible.
5. Slightly soak the sponge with some simple syrup (*see Notes).
6. If your tarts are not completely flat, gently spread some more ganache on the top to make the tarts even.
7. Place the rest of the whipping ganache in a piping bag with a petal nozzle attached to it.
8. Place the tarts on a turn table with a non-slip matt underneath it, making sure the tart is placed in the middle. Find the middle of the tart and mark it with a small knife to make it easier for you.
9. Turn your turntable and start piping (with the smaller side of the nozzle facing up) in a steady stream from the inside to the outside until you reach the sides of the tart.
10. You might need to practice this a few times, but if you are not happy with one simply scrape and place back in the piping bag(*see Notes).
11. To finish, place a cranberry in the middle of the tart (dusted with some gold dust if you prefer).
12. Break some pretzels and place them on the top sides of your tart to resemble the reindeer horns and dust them slightly with icing sugar for a festive feel.
13. The tarts are best the same day but you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
14. Enjoy:)

Notes

• As you add the second part of the double cream you may notice that the mix is quite runny and loose. Do not fear as the whipping ganache will set in the fridge and later will be whipped!
• Sometimes the butter can be a bit too warm which will result in losing too much air from our cake mix. By adding some of the batter into the melted butter we bring the temperature down, making sure our mix remains aerated.

• As the ganache contains quite a bit of fat make sure to be careful when whipping. You can even simply whisk slightly by hand to avoid over whipping
• Genoise sponge is naturally quite spongy, so some kind of syrup is very much needed. I soaked mine with simple syrup (100ml water mixed 80g sugar and brought to the boil) but you can also soak the discs with alcohol of your choice.
• Same as with chantilly cream the more you pipe the more the fat will start separating from the cream and therefore split. You can simply squeeze the content of the bag back into the bowl and mix with the fresh ganache.

Meringue kisses,
Athina xx