These Chocolate Strawberry Tartlets are very easy to make and are great for family gatherings, celebrations, or summer BBQ parties. They are the perfect combination of a simple sweet pastry filled with a rich chocolate ganache and juicy strawberries. Same as my French Strawberry Custard Tart and Lazy Cake (Chocolate Biscuit Cake), they look and taste amazing but are also very easy to make!
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These mini Chocolate Ganache Tarts are rich without being overwhelming. The tartness of the sweet and juicy strawberries complement perfectly the smooth & rich chocolate ganache. They are such a perfect combination together!
If you love French food and want to learn more about French cooking, you might want to check my other French recipes such as Chicken Liver Parfait - Pate, Traditional French Onion Soup, and Moules Mariniere - French Mussels.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Chocolate and strawberries together are a match made in heaven!
- These individual mini chocolate tarts are perfect for summer parties and family gatherings.
- You can use your favorite type of chocolate whether it’s milk, white, or dark. I used a mixture of milk and dark chocolate as we like it on the slightly sweet side.
- If you don’t have strawberries, you can substitute them with any fresh berries or other fruit that is in the season that you like to pair with chocolate.
- You can use ready-made sweet-tart bases to make this Chocolate Strawberry Tartlets recipe even quicker&easier.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Butter - I always use unsalted butter for pastries as I want to be in control of the quantity of salt. Make sure your butter is softened at room temperature.
- Plain white flour - It is also known as all-purpose flour. It is perfect for making cakes, cookies, pastries, and thickening sauces. Sift it before using it in your pastries.
- Sugar - I use caster sugar but granulated sugar would work perfectly too.
- Egg - Use a fresh, free-range egg at room temperature.
- Salt - It helps to balance the flavor and enhance other ingredients. Adding a small amount of salt is essential in most dessert recipes.
- Lemon zest - It is the yellow outside of its peel without going to the white part which is bitter and unpleasant. It adds a tangy flavor and a citrusy smell to the tart base. You can omit it and add an extra teaspoon of vanilla paste.
- Chocolate - I used a mixture of 70% dark chocolate and milk chocolate, but you can use any of your preferred chocolate as long as they are cooking chocolate.
- Vanilla paste - I use vanilla bean paste or extract for deep&delicious vanilla flavor. Avoid using artificial vanilla.
- Cream - I use double cream/heavy cream to make the ganache. The reduced-fat cream wouldn't work with this recipe.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache Strawberry Tartlets?
These mini Chocolate Tarts are very easy to make. However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Prepare the Sweet Pastry Dough (Pâte Sucrée)
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix for another 20 seconds.
Add the egg, vanilla paste, salt, and lemon zest. Beat on low speed until the yolk is evenly incorporated and the mixture is clumpy, for about 30 seconds.
Add the flour and mix on low speed for about a minute, until the flour is incorporated. The mixture will look like wet, clumpy sand.
Using your hand, lightly knead the dough into a ball inside the bowl. You can transfer the dough to your worktop to knead it if easier, but make sure not to overwork the pastry.
Turn the dough into a ball and then roll it between two sheets of baking paper, about 3 mm (⅛") thick. Place on a flat tray and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
Take the dough out of the fridge, remove the baking paper and cut out 10 rounds of pastry using a small knife. You can also use a round or fluted cookie cutter.
Gently slide the pastries into the muffin pan openings, lightly pressing the edge between the bottom and the sides to remove any air bubbles. Prick the bottom of the pastries with a fork to avoid them rising, then place them back in the fridge to rest for another hour.
Bake the Tartlet Shells
Preheat your oven to 170° C (340° F) and place the muffin pan in the freezer in the meantime.
Line each tartlet shell with a small piece of cling film or baking paper and cover with baking beads, beans, or chickpeas.
Bake the shells for 10-12 minutes, remove the baking weights and cling film carefully, then bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Leave them to cool down completely before adding the filling.
Proceed to prepare the chocolate ganache while the pastry shells are cooling down.
Prepare the Chocolate Ganache
Chop the dark chocolate and milk chocolate into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering (not boiling), and pour it into the chopped chocolate. The cream doesn't need to boil fully, but you should see some steam coming out of the pan.
Leave the chocolate and cream without stirring for about one minute. Using a spatula, stir them until the chocolate melts in the cream, and emulsifies into a smooth ganache.
Let the ganache cool down just a little (for a few minutes), and pour it over the tartlet shells. Use a small spatula (or the back of a spoon) to spread it evenly if necessary.
Place the tartlets in the fridge to set for about an hour - or until the ganache has hardened before decorating with strawberries, nuts, or any topping you like.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe!
Top Tips From The Chef
- The empty pastry shells can be kept at room temperature when wrapped in cling film. Once filled with the chocolate ganache, they need to be stored in the fridge.
- Chop the chocolate finely before adding the hot (not boiled) cream. It will help the chocolate melt much quicker without needing to heat the cream too much. Melting chocolate at a high temperature might result in a grainy ganache.
- Pour the chocolate ganache into the shells straight away while still warm to get a smooth finish. If you leave it aside for too long, the ganache will start to harden.
- For a harder ganache, keep the in the fridge until ready to serve. If you want softer ganache, leave them at room temperature for at least an hour before serving them.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you are looking for a super easy&quick and no-fuss Chocolate Strawberry Tartlets recipe, you could simply use a basic sweet shortcrust pastry from the store and fill it with simple homemade chocolate ganache.
There could be two reasons for the ganache not being set.
The first reason is that the ganache won't be set until properly chilled. If the ganache filling is still not set, simply leave it for longer in the fridge.
The second reason is the wrong ratio of cream to chocolate. Too much cream will result in a runny ganache.
These tartlets will keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours. I don't recommend making it any earlier than that as the pastries will lose their crunch and the strawberries will go funny.
The pastry itself can be made and baked 1 or 2 days ahead, and filled with the ganache up to one hour before serving (or the time required for the ganache to set in the fridge).
Related Recipes
For more scrumptious chocolate recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these mini Chocolate&Strawberry tarts as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Chocolate Strawberry Tartlets
Equipment
- 1 sifter
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry Dough (Pâte Sucrée)
- 125 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1 small egg
- 200 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 200 ml double cream or heavy cream
- 200 g chocolate (half dark/half milk)
For Topping
- 10 strawberries
- nuts
- sea salt flakes
Instructions
Prepare the Sweet Pastry (Pâte Sucrée) Shells
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and creamy.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix for another 20 seconds.
- Add the egg, vanilla paste, salt and lemon zest, and beat on low speed until the yolk is evenly incorporated and the mixture is clumpy, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and mix on low speed for about a minute, until the flour is incorporated. The mixture will look like wet, clumpy sand.
- Using your hand, lightly knead the dough into a ball inside the bowl. You can transfer the dough to your worktop to knead it if easier, but make sure not to overwork the pastry.
- Turn the dough into a ball and then roll between two sheets of baking paper, about 3 mm (⅛") thick.
- Place on a flat tray and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Take the dough out of the fridge, remove the baking paper and cut out 10 rounds of pastry using a small knife. You can also use a round or fluted cookie cutter.
- Gently slide the pastries into the muffin pan openings, lightly pressing the edge between the bottom and the sides to remove any air bubbles.
- Prick the bottom of the pastries with a fork to avoid them rising, then place them back in the fridge to rest for another hour.
- Preheat your oven to 170° C (340° F) and place the muffin pan in the freezer in the meantime.
- Line each tartlet shell with a small piece of cling film or baking paper and cover with baking beads, beans or chickpeas.
- Bake the shells for 10-12 minutes, remove the baking weights and cling film carefully, then bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Leave them to cool down completely before adding the filling.
- Proceed to prepare the chocolate ganache while the pastry shells are cooling down.
Prepare the Chocolate Ganache
- Chop the dark chocolate and milk chocolate into small pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering (not boiling), and pour it into the chopped chocolate. The cream doesn't need to boil fully, but you should see some steam coming out of the pan.
- Leave the chocolate and cream without stirring for about one minute. Using a spatula, stir them until the chocolate melts in the cream, and emulsifies into a smooth ganache.
- Let the ganache cool down just a little (for a few minutes), and pour it over the tartlet shells. Use a small spatula (or the back of a spoon) to spread it evenly if necessary.
- Place the tartlets in the fridge to set for about an hour - or until the ganache has hardened before decorating with strawberries, nuts or any topping you like.
Notes
- The empty pastry shells can be kept at room temperature when wrapped in cling film. Once filled with the chocolate ganache, they need to be stored in the fridge.
- Chop the chocolate finely before adding the hot (not boiled) cream. It will help the chocolate melt much quicker without needing to heat the cream too much. Melting chocolate at a high temperature might result in a grainy ganache.
- Pour the chocolate ganache into the shells straight away while still warm to get a smooth finish. If you leave it aside for too long, the ganache will start to harden.
- For a harder ganache, keep the in the fridge until ready to serve. If you want softer ganache, leave them at room temperature for at least an hour before serving them.
- The pastry itself can be made and baked 1 or 2 days ahead, and filled with the ganache up to one hour before serving (or the time required for the ganache to set in the fridge).
Nutrition
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Renan
These looks delicious! On my list to do this weekend.
Fi
Love how elegant and fancy these look while actually being pretty easy to whip up! Great for a dinner party!
Sana
Made these for the first time, and this definitely won't be the last! They were decadent, rich, and so easy to make! Making the shells do take some time but I honestly don't mind!
Chrissy
I made this tartlets yesterday for my family, divine! We all loved then and I will be making them again!
Shannon
Thanks for such an accurate recipe n simple too! best tartlets ever!!! i know i ll have to make these more often now….