Cocoa tartlets with almonds and chocolate cream

To prepare the cocoa tartlets with almonds and chocolate cream, start by making the crumble: place the almond flour and sifted all-purpose flour in a mixer 1 along with the cold refrigerator butter cut into pieces and a pinch of salt 2; process for a few seconds until you obtain a rather coarse and crumbly mixture 3.

Place the crumble on a work surface, shape it into a well with your hands, and sift the powdered sugar into the center 4. Take the vanilla pod, cut it lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a knife; add the seeds to the center of the well together with the whole egg 5 and the almond paste 6.

Knead quickly, just until the dough comes together 7 to prevent the shortcrust from getting too warm from your hands and remaining crumbly, then sift in the cocoa powder 8; knead again very quickly 9 and form a dough ball.

Slightly flatten the dough ball and wrap it in plastic wrap, letting it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour 10. In the meantime, you can prepare the chocolate cream: pour the milk and cream into a saucepan 11, add the whole zest of half an orange 12, and heat gently until it's almost boiling.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar 13, then sift the cornstarch into the egg and sugar mixture 14. Chop the dark chocolate with a knife and set aside 15.

When the milk and cream mixture is almost boiling, turn off the heat and remove the infused orange zest 16. Pour in the egg-based mixture you've prepared 17 and turn the heat back on low, stirring with a whisk to thicken the cream. Once thickened, turn off the heat and add the chopped dark chocolate, stirring to melt it 18.

Once the chocolate is completely melted 19, pour the cream into a shallow and wide dish, and let it cool at room temperature covered with plastic wrap touching the surface 20. Then, place it in a piping bag without a nozzle (you can make a hole), storing it in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, take the shortcrust dough and roll it out with a rolling pin into a disc about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface 21.

Using a 4.5-inch round cutter, cut out 6 discs 22. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place 6 fluted 3.15-inch diameter molds on it, and line them with the shortcrust discs, pressing with your fingers to create the edges 23. Trim off any excess dough with a knife (you can use the scraps to make cookies) and prick the bottom with the tines of a fork 24.

After covering all the molds, cut 3-inch squares of parchment paper and line the bottom of the molds with them. Place ceramic weights on top for How to do blind baking 25 (or you can use dried legumes, like chickpeas or beans), and then bake in a preheated static oven at 338°F for 15 minutes (or 302°F for 10-15 minutes if using a convection oven). Once the time is up, take the tartlets out of the oven, remove the ceramic balls and parchment paper, and bake again for another 5 minutes at the same temperature, so the shortcrust dries well. After baking, take them out of the oven and let them cool before removing them from the molds 26. Fill each tartlet by piping in the chocolate cream with the piping bag 27.

Decorate with a few white chocolate chips 28, raspberries 29, cape gooseberries 30, and a mint leaf. Finally, you can serve and enjoy your cocoa tartlets with almonds and chocolate cream.