Friday Pie Day: Lemon-crusted Chocolate Tarts

Here are some wee chocolate tarts that will just call out to you for a pie hug.

I made these for a good friend who is moving away (wah!), so wanted to make them extra special.

So this is a basic chocolate tart, but with a kick of lemon in both the crust and the chocolate mixture to give it that extra something.

You want nicely fresh unwaxed lemons for this, so that you can get a decent amount of bright zest to add extra colour to the top.

And instead of throwing away those pastry scraps you tend to get when stamping out individual rounds and such - make use of them by cutting out little decorative hearts and place lovingly atop each pie :-)

Lemon-crusted Chocolate Tarts

Print-friendly recipe

Makes 12:

250g plain flour
1 / 2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp sugar
100g cold butter, diced
2 tbsp lemon juice
Some ice cold water
OR 375g sweet shortcrust pastry

(but it won't be Lemon-crusted now, will it?)

150g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
150ml double cream
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

If using premade pastry, go straight to step 3

1. Mix the flour, 1 /2 tbsp lemon zest and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter to a breadcrumb mixture.
2. Add the 2 tbsp lemon juice, then gradually add a tablespoon of water at a time to knead the mixture into a dough. Cut in half, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out one of the pastry halves into a large thin circle. Use a 3.5” round cutter to stamp out 6 circles. Lightly press them into a non-stick cupcake tray and prick the base with a fork. Repeat with the remaining pastry half.
4. Use any pastry remains to cut out little decorative heart shapes if desired. Cover the whole tray with foil, then add in some baking beads into each hole. Chill for half an hour (or freeze for 15 mins).
5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Blind-bake the pastry shells (and hearts!) for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely.
6. Put a pan on the lowest heat, then gently melt the chocolate through. Take off the heat and carefully stir in the lemon juice and cream.
7. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the cooled pastry cases, then sprinkle a little lemon zest onto the top of each (with a pastry heart on top if desired). Chill for at least 4 hours to set, before serving.

Pie out.

Read my other Friday Pie Day adventures.