For Valentine’s Day, I suggest you make these little chocolate praline tartlets by Julien Dechenaud.
Published in issue 45 of Fou de Pâtisserie magazine, I must admit that this recipe had somewhat gone unnoticed. And then, last Friday, Julien Dechenaud was live on Instagram with Fou de pâtisserie making these little wonders and I simply caved… By the way, here’s the link to the video of the live, which may help you make this recipe.
I simply jazzed them up slightly for Valentine’s Day by cutting a little heart out of the chocolate disc. It’s simple and effective at the same time. And if you’re wondering, this recipe really is very simple to make. This chocolate praline tartlet is made up of a cocoa pâte sablée, a homemade hazelnut praline, a dark chocolate crémeux (I used Valrhona’s Tulakalum 75% chocolate here, which I had won in a competition) and a dark chocolate disc dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder.
By the way, to make this chocolate disc, you’ll need to temper your dark chocolate. Don’t be scared, because thanks to Marianne from the blog Vanille et citron, I’ve finally found a simple and quick method for tempering chocolate using the microwave! I explain everything in the recipe steps below. With this method, you can easily temper small quantities of chocolate as well as larger ones. It changed my life!
In any case, as someone who isn’t a big fan of dark chocolate, I really loved this dessert. The chocolate pairs perfectly with the hazelnut praline and the whole thing gives the dessert a real balance. I can only recommend you try it. And there’s still time to make this dessert for tomorrow 🙂
If you like chocolate, I also suggest the recipe for the dark chocolate and raspberry bavarois but if chocolate isn’t your thing, then I suggest heart-shaped raspberry and vanilla-tonka bean macarons or a Ruby chocolate, red berry and Timut pepper entremets.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
Ingredients & Method
5 components · Full recipe
Cocoa Shortcrust Pastry (to make the day before)
Ingredients
- 170 g (6 oz) flour
- 30 g (1.1 oz) cocoa powder
- 85 g (3 oz) icing sugar
- 30 g (1.1 oz) almond powder
- 115 g (4.1 oz) softened butter
- 1 egg
- a pinch of salt
Method
1
In a bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, icing sugar, almond powder and salt. Add the cold butter cut into small cubes and rub in with your fingertips until you get a sandy texture.
2
Add the egg and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork it.
3
Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight).
4
Roll the dough out to 3 mm thickness between two sheets of baking paper. Cut out circles slightly larger than your tartlet rings and line the rings. Freeze for at least 1 hour before baking.
5
Prick the bases and bake blind at 170°C / 340°F for 15-17 minutes. Leave to cool before unmoulding.
Hazelnut Praline (can be made ahead)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) whole hazelnuts
- 130 g (4.6 oz) caster sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Method
1
Toast the hazelnuts in the oven at 150°C / 300°F for 15 minutes, then rub them in a clean tea towel to remove most of the skins.
2
Make a dry caramel by melting the sugar in a saucepan without stirring, swirling the pan gently until a deep amber caramel forms.
3
Pour the caramel over the toasted hazelnuts on a baking-paper-lined tray. Leave to cool completely.
4
Break the praline into pieces and blitz in a food processor until you get a smooth, pourable paste. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature.
Baking the Cocoa Shortcrust Pastry Shells
Ingredients
- the cocoa shortcrust pastry shells
- the hazelnut praline
Method
1
Once the pastry shells are baked and cooled, fill each one with a thin layer of hazelnut praline (about 1 teaspoon per tartlet).
2
Spread the praline evenly over the base using the back of a teaspoon or a small offset spatula.
3
Leave the tartlets to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding the chocolate cremeux, so the praline firms up.
4
Once the praline is set, pour the chocolate cremeux over the top, filling each shell to the rim. Tap gently to level the surface.
5
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before adding the chocolate disc decoration.
Dark Chocolate Cremeux
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) dark chocolate (70%)
- 180 g (6.3 oz) single cream (35% fat)
- 1 egg yolk
- 25 g (0.9 oz) softened butter
Method
1
Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl.
2
Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer.
3
Whisk the egg yolk in a separate bowl. Pour a little hot cream over the yolk while whisking, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
4
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 82°C / 180°F (it should coat the back of a spoon like a crème anglaise).
5
Pour over the chopped chocolate. Wait 30 seconds, then stir from the centre outwards until smooth and glossy.
6
When the temperature drops to around 35°C / 95°F, add the softened butter and blend with a hand blender until completely emulsified and silky.
7
Use immediately while still fluid, or reheat gently if it has set before you are ready.
8
Pour the cremeux over the praline layer in the tartlet shells and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Chocolate Discs
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) dark chocolate (70%)
Method
1
Temper the dark chocolate: melt two-thirds of the chocolate to 55°C / 131°F, then add the remaining third (finely chopped) and stir until the temperature drops to 27-28°C / 82°F, then gently rewarm to 31-32°C / 90°F.
2
Spread a thin, even layer of tempered chocolate onto a sheet of guitar paper (acetate). Leave to begin setting.
3
When the chocolate is nearly set but still slightly tacky, cut out circles the same diameter as the tartlets using a round cutter. Leave to set fully.
4
Carefully peel the chocolate discs off the acetate.
5
Gently press a chocolate disc onto the top of each chilled tartlet. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
6
Dust lightly with cocoa powder or decorate with a few gold flakes just before serving, if desired.
7
Serve the tartlets at room temperature for the best texture — take them out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving.
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