White Chocolate And Passion Fruit Tarts

White Chocolate And Passion Fruit Tarts

Topping these tarts with a piece of gold leaf turns them into an elegant holiday treat. If you don't have enough molds, bake the tart shells in batches and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 mL) flour

Pinch salt

½ cup plus 3 tbsp (125 mL plus 45 mL) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg

1/3 cup (75 mL) sugar

8 oz (250 g) white chocolate, finely chopped

2/3 cup (150 mL) passion fruit juice

1/3 cup (75 mL) whipping cream

Edible gold leaf

Directions:

Place the flour and salt in a food processor, pulse to mix. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Whisk the egg and sugar until well mixed, and then add to flour and butter mixture. Pulse until mixture just starts to come together. Tip the mixture onto a floured surface and form into a disc and flatten. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and cut to line small tart moulds. Refrigerate the pastry-lined moulds (16 to 20) for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

Bake the tarts for 15 minutes or until browned and cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool. Set the tart shells aside

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Place the passion fruit juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until the juice is reduced by half, about 5 minutes, then pour over the chocolate. 

In another saucepan bring the cream to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and juice. Using a whisk, stir until all the chocolate is melted. Refrigerate the mixture until it is thick and cold.

Using electric beaters, whisk the chocolate mixture until it resembles whipped cream. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and fill the cooled baked tart shells.

Top with a piece of gold leaf.

TIP:  To remove seeds from the pulp and juice, place in a blender or preferably a Vita-Mix on the lowest settings and allow it to whirl.  The seeds separate from the pulp/juice and are at the bottom of the container.  Easy Peasy!