Once again I am here with another chocolate dessert, before you labeled me as a chocoholic, let me tell you, am not the one…, I can assure you that, but who can resist a chocolate. The sweet and bitter chocolate, yes that is my flavor, as soon as it melts in your mouth, you begin to feel happy … almost instantly. The rich flavonoids and anitoxidants work their way up to your mind and heart, and bring smile on your face and that happens every time whenever you pop a small bit of chocolate into your mouth.
After relishing chocolate hazelnut pots and chocolate coconut slices, it is time to have some complex flavor in our beloved chocolate. Please welcome chili and cinnamon, they both goes together very well in any spicy dishes, but what about the desserts. Have you tried before chili in a dessert ? How was it ? Did you like it or it was too strong for you? Let us know about your experiences, we would love to hear about it.
So here we go with our chili and cinnamon spiced chocolate tart shells topped with chili spiced cherries. Now, cherries has that typical sourness in them, not too tart like citrus but that sourness can be a very good match with some hot and pungent paprika powder. Not only that it adds some color, but also spiced up the cherries and for some extra zing add some of it in chocolate too. You will be surprised !!! 
Chili Spiced Chocolate Cherry Tartlets
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Cinnamon flavoured chocolate tartlets decorated with rim of mixed nuts and filled with cherries spiced with paprika
Ingredients
- All purpose flour : 1 1/4 cup (300 ml)
- Unsweetened cocoa : 3tbsp (45 ml)
- Butter : 2/3 cup (160 ml)
- Sugar (superfine) : 3 tbsp (45 ml)
- Water : 2-3 tbsp
- Dark chocolate : 1 oz (30 g)
- Chopped mixed nuts (toasted) : 1/2 cup (120 ml)
- Cherries : 3 oz (85 g)
- Cinnamon powder : 1tsp
- Paprika : 1 tsp
- Fruit juice : 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Instructions
- Sift together the flour and unsweetened cocoa into a mixing bowl.
- Add cinnamon powder and sprinkle some paprika over it.
- Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir the sugar. Add just enough water to mix to a soft dough.
- Cover in a plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and line six four inch tartlet pans.
- Prick the dough with a fork and line the pie shells with pie weight or beans or rice.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pie weight and bake further for 10 minutes until the tart shells are crispy.
- Place the tartlets on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler.
- Spread out the chopped nuts on a plate.
- Remove the tart shells from the pans.
- Spread the melted chocolate on the tart rims and then dip them in the chopped mixed nuts. Let them set for few minutes.
- In a separate pan, add the cherries with the juices, add some grape juice if you like and make a reduction. Add the paprika powder and sprinkle some cinnamon over it.
- You can add some honey if you wish to. Let it simmer for few minutes till it thickens.
- Arrange the prepared cherries in the tartlet shells.
- Serve the chocolate cherry tartlets chilled.
Notes
- You can use any fresh fruits of your choice to fill the tart shells.
- If desired, you can fill the tart shells with little sweetened cream before topping with the fruit.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Chocolate
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tartlet
- Calories: 320
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this dessert use both cinnamon and paprika rather than just chili powder?
The author explains that cinnamon and chili go together very well in spicy dishes, and that paprika adds both color and heat to the cherries. In this recipe, 1 tsp cinnamon goes into the chocolate tart dough, while 1 tsp paprika is divided — a sprinkle in the dough and a dose into the cherry reduction — so both layers of the tartlet carry the spice theme.
What is the purpose of blind-baking the tart shells with pie weights?
The dough is pricked with a fork and lined with pie weights (or beans or rice) and baked at 375°F for 10 minutes, then the weights are removed and the shells bake for a further 10 minutes. This two-stage bake prevents the dough from puffing up or shrinking, resulting in a crispy, even shell that holds the cherry filling without going soggy.
How do I apply the chopped nuts to the rim of the tart shells?
After the shells cool completely and are unmolded, melt 1 oz of dark chocolate, spread it onto the rims, then dip the rims into 1/2 cup of chopped toasted mixed nuts spread on a plate. Let them set for a few minutes before filling with the cherry reduction.
