Chocolate Tartlets with buttery shortbread tart shells and rich, fluffy chocolate mousse filling are an irresistible, bite-sized treat and perfect little desserts for holidays or family gatherings.
Set out a full mini dessert spread with cute Mini Pumpkin Pies, Mini Coconut Cream Pies, and Mini Cannoli Tarts.
These decadent chocolate tartlets are perfect for the holidays. After a big meal, a full slice of pie can feel like too much, but a bite-sized treat is always a yes! These mini tarts with chocolate filling are the perfect sweet little bite and are guaranteed to be a hit at your next holiday gathering.
And you'll love how easy this chocolate tart recipe is -- no chilling or rolling dough or special tart pans, and no double boiler or tempering egg yolks.
🍫Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Unsalted butter. Room temperature butter should leave an indent when pressed but not feel squishy.
- All-purpose flour. Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and then leveling it off with a knife. If you add too much flour, the shortbread crust can become dry and crumbly in a bad way.
- Good quality chocolate. Your choice of chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate chips, or chocolate bars chopped into small pieces, may be used. You'll find that chocolate bars melt creamier than chocolate chips. I rarely have chocolate bars and always have chocolate chips, so that's what I use.
- Heavy whipping cream. Look for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream -- they're the same thing and should have at least 36% milk fat.
🥣Instructions
Step 1: Cream the butter and confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined into a soft dough.
Step 2: Roll the cookie dough into balls. Press them into the bottom of the pan and up the sides of greased or lined mini muffin pan cups. Use a muddler, pestle, rounded measuring spoon, wooden spoon handle, or your fingers.
Step 3: Bake cookie cups in preheated oven at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes until very light brown. Press the centers back down to form a well. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then gently remove and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 4: In a heatproof bowl, warm chocolate and ¼ cup heavy cream in microwave. Stir until smooth, add salt. Cool to room temperature.
Step 5: Whip remaining cream and vanilla to medium peaks (peaks hold, but tips curl down). Add melted chocolate and whip to stiff peaks (tips do not curl down).
Step 6: Pipe or spoon mousse into each mini tart crust. Chill 1-4 hours to allow mousse to firm up. Serve topped with whipped cream, crushed cookies, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate curls. (Photo above shows milk and dark chocolate mousse).
👉Top Tip: If needed, gently twist the cookies in the cups or use a toothpick to loosen the edges.
☑️Tips
- When whipping cream, start on low speed, then work your way up to medium-high to keep the cream from splattering all over your kitchen.
- Be careful not to overwhip the cream or the mousse can become grainy or even crumbly when cold.
- For easiest removal, line the mini muffin tin with paper liners or strips of parchment paper (slings).
- If needed, gently twist the cookies in the cups or use a toothpick to loosen the edges. I found it best to remove them when they were still slightly warm.
🎁Storage
Store assembled chocolate mousse tartlets in the fridge for 3-4 days.
📅Make Ahead
- Make the mini tartlet shells up to 3 days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Make the mousse a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the mousse (to keep it from drying out). When ready to assemble your mini chocolate tarts, spoon the filling into a piping bag and pipe the mousse into the shells.
🎆More Delicious Mini Desserts
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Tartlets
Equipment
- Mini muffin pan
- Mini muffin pan liners optional
- Wooden spoon handle, pestle, or muddler for pressing wells into the cookie cups
Ingredients
Mini Shortbread Tart Shells
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Mousse
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Shortbread Tartlet Shells
- Preheat the oven to 300. Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line the cups with paper liners.
- Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix until it forms a soft dough.
- Roll 1 tablespoon portions of dough into balls and place them in the cups of the pan. Press the dough into the bottoms and up the sides of the cups with a spoon handle, muddler, pestle, or your fingers (spray with oil or dip in water to keep from sticking).
- Bake cookie cups 20-25 minutes or until very light golden brown. Press the centers back down to form a well. Cool 5 minutes in pan until firm enough to handle. Gently lift the cups out of the pan and place on wire rack to cool.
Chocolate Mousse
- Warm ¼ cup cream and the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, then 10-second intervals, if needed, until warm. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Stir in the salt. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whip the remaining cream and vanilla to medium peaks (peaks hold their shape but curl down). Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat to stiff peaks (tips stand up straight and do not curl down). Do not overmix or the mousse will be grainy.
- Spoon or pipe the mousse into the cookie cups. Chill 1-4 hours to let the mousse firm up. If desired, top with whipped cream, crushed cookies, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate shavings.
Notes
- When whipping cream, start on low speed, then work your way up to medium-high to keep the cream from splattering all over your kitchen.
- Be careful not to overwhip the cream or the mousse can become grainy or even crumbly when cold.
- For easiest removal, line the mini muffin tin with paper liners or strips of parchment paper (slings).
- Store assembled chocolate mousse tartlets in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Make the tartlet shells up to 3 days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Make the mousse a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the mousse (to keep it from drying out).
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