Chocolate Ganache Tarts

Between making and rolling pastry, I scored 157 out of 250 in the IMBD Top 250 Movies of All Time list challenge and folded baskets of laundry. Then I stood in my kitchen and stared out the window while I licked ganache covered spoons. No Life.



Chocolate Ganache Tarts
Pastry slightly adapted  from Annabel Langbein's Free Range in the City
Makes 8

For the Pastry Cases:
Makes more than you'll need for 8 pastry cases, but you can freeze the rest for another day
360g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups plain flour
a pinch of salt

For the Chocolate Ganache:
200g milk chocolate, chopped
150ml cream

Make the Pastry: 
Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured board (it will be really soft) and use floured hand to bring it together. Cut it into 4 quarters and freeze 3 quarters. Wrap the remaining quarter to use for the tarts in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the pastry out between two layers of baking paper, as thin as you can make it while still being able to work with it. Cut 8 circles of dough and press the dough into 8 x 8cm tart fluted tart pans. Pop the little tart tins on a baking tray and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Blind bake the pastry cases by lining each tart tin with a piece of foil, making sure you push into the corners, and weight the foil down by putting baking weights on top of the foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until brown and crisp. Remove the weights and foil and let them pastry cases cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Filling:
Put the chopped chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the cream to almost boiling in a small saucepan over medium heat. Take the hot cream off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Leave for about 2 minutes, then stir it together until the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth, velvety mixture. Pour the ganache into the tart shells and allow them to cool to room temperature. It is best to eat these tarts the day they are made.