Delicate cocoa pastry with a hint of lemon, smooth caramel cream, and a glossy chocolate glaze create a festive treat that melts pleasantly on the tongue. Finely ground biscuits replace nuts in the dough, making these tartlets perfect even for those who avoid nuts.
This recipe looks impressive, but the preparation is straightforward and doesn’t require complicated steps. Simply make the dough quickly, bake the tartlets, and once cooled, fill them with whipped cream. You can enrich the chocolate with a bit of cocoa butter for a smoother and shinier finish, according to your taste.
What You’ll Need
For the dough:
- 400 g plain flour,
- 250 g butter,
- 200 g powdered sugar,
- 140 g finely ground biscuits – as a substitute for nuts,
- 1 egg,
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder,
- a pinch of cinnamon,
- zest and juice from 1 lemon.
For the caramel cream:
- 100 g butter,
- about 125 g Biscoff caramel cream,
- 2 tablespoons rum.
For finishing:
- cooking chocolate,
- optionally cocoa butter – for a shinier glaze,
- confectionery decorations.
The original recipe does not specify the exact amount of chocolate, cocoa butter, or decorations, so adjust these according to the number of tartlets and your preferred decoration style.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the dough: Place softened butter in a bowl and add the plain flour, powdered sugar, finely ground biscuits, egg, cocoa powder, cinnamon, lemon zest, and juice. Quickly work everything into a smooth, compact dough that is pliable and not sticky.
2. Shaping the tartlets: Take small pieces of the finished dough and roll them into balls. Press each ball into a tartlet mold and spread it evenly so the dough has the same thickness all around.
3. Baking: Place the filled molds in an oven preheated to 180°C and bake the tartlets for about 10 minutes. Let the baked pastries cool briefly in the molds so they don’t break when unmolding.
4. Unmolding and cooling: Carefully remove the partially cooled tartlets from the molds and lay them out to cool completely. Only fill the tartlet shells with cream once they are cold, otherwise the butter filling might melt.
5. Preparing the cream: Whip the softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the Biscoff caramel cream, and finally add the rum. Whisk the mixture briefly to create a smooth and airy cream.
6. Filling: Fill the cooled tartlets with the prepared caramel cream. Place the filled pastries in the fridge for 1–2 hours so the filling can firm up and hold its shape when dipped in chocolate.
7. Chocolate glaze: Melt the cooking chocolate and, if desired, smooth it out with a little cocoa butter to enhance the glaze’s shine. Dip the tops of the chilled tartlets into the melted chocolate.
8. Decorating and resting: Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle the tartlets with confectionery decorations. Let the glaze set completely. The pastries taste best after resting, when the delicate shell, lemon hint, and caramel filling blend together.
How to Achieve a Delicate and Smooth Dough
Work the dough quickly to keep it delicate after baking. Grind the biscuits very finely, as larger pieces could disrupt the smooth texture and make it harder to press the dough evenly into the molds.
When shaping, pay special attention to keeping the walls the same thickness. Edges that are too thin may break after baking, while thicker spots might not bake evenly.
Possible Variations of Caramel Cream
You can replace Biscoff cream with another caramel cream of your choice. Rum gives the filling a festive aroma, but you can leave it out if you prefer. Whip the butter and caramel cream just until smooth and fluffy so the ingredients combine well.
How to Store the Tartlets
Store filled and decorated tartlets in a sealed box in the fridge. They will keep for about 4–5 days. Thanks to the butter cream and chocolate layer, they stay moist and tasty, but they are at their best after resting, when all the flavors come together.
