COCOA BEAN TASSIES
Makes 24 small pastries
I applied my own sleight of hand to a long-remembered delicacy called
pecan tassies from Margaret Fox's Cafe Beaujolais Cookbook. Even Margaret
approves of these miniature tartlets filled with a sweet gooey sauce
offset with cracked cocoa beans.
For the pastry:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 T. sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
1 large egg white
3/4 cup packed light brown or golden brown sugar
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup cocoa nibs, chopped into small bits (Alchemist note: I think Carenero's richness would go well here)
1 t. pure vanilla extract
generous pinch of salt
Special equipment: Two 12-cup miniature muffin pans
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400
degrees F.
To make the pastry: Combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt
in a medium bowl. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
Divide the dough in half and press each half into a flattened 4-inch
square. Cut each square into 12 equal pieces and shape each piece into a
ball. Place one dough ball in each muffin cup and press it evenly over
the bottom and all the way up the sides of the cup, forming a neat
rim. Set aside.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat the egg white until
foamy. Stir in the brown sugar, melted butter, cocoa nibs, vanilla, and
salt. Divide the filling evenly among the tartlet shells, using about 1
teaspoon for each.
Bake the tassies for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 250
degrees F. and bake for 20 minutes more, or until the pastry is well
browned on the edges and underneath (life one out with the point of a
knife to check). Let cool in the pans on a rack. (Stored in an airtight
container, these remain delicious for about 3 days, with the chocolate
flavor intensifying from day to day).
Source: Medrich, p. 313.
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