Chocolate rum truffle tart and ARIA praline chocolate tartelettes

I made two chocolate tarts a few weeks back. I decided to experiment by making two "recipes" using the same base chocolate tart pastry and two different fillings. A flavoured chocolate ganache tart and a tweaked version of the ARIA chocolate tart.

 Chocolate rum truffle tart

 ARIA praline chocolate tartelettes

I was torn among a few choices regarding the alcohol for the chocolate ganache tart. Hazelnut kahlua, Bailey's, rum, whiskey were a few of the choices I had shortlisted. In the end, I decided to use the dark rum. The dark rum flavour was very pronounced. If you're a rum fan, you're in for a treat. Personally, I would have chose another flavour instead as the alcohol flavour was really the star component in the dessert and I would have preferred the milkier lighter taste of say Kahlua or Bailey's.

As for the ARIA praline chocolate tartelettes, I modified it slightly by adding some praline powder I still had in the fridge and some espresso granules (I saw on a telly program that coffee helps heighten the chocolate flavour). I think I preferred the ARIA praline chocolate tartelettes in comparison to the chocolate rum as the taste was lighter and not as "wham in your face" as the chocolate rum one.

Chocolate rum truffle tart and ARIA praline chocolate tartelettes

Chocolate tart dough (adapted from Trissa at Trissalicious)
(makes enough dough to line one 6" tart and four 3" tartelettes)

30g Valrhona cocoa powder
75g cold butter, diced
35g caster sugar
1 egg
160g flour
5g baking powder
pinch of salt

Place the butter, caster sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl and use a pastry scraper to combine till mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the eggs, flour and baking powder and process until the mixture just comes together.
Knead into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to rest.
Once the dough has rested, place the dough back on to a lightly floured surface and roll out until around 2 mm thick. Cut the dough such that it is at least 1 cm wider than the tart shell (which will form the wall of the tart).
Place the cut dough in the tart shells and allow refrigerate for another 1 hour.
When ready, blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes at 180C. Once done, bake for another 5 minutes (this time, do not blind bake).
Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Rum truffle filling
(for 6" chocolate tart)
170g Valrhona (equal amounts of Manjari and Equatorial) dark chocolate, chopped
30g Valrhona Jivara milk chocolate, chopped
150ml cream
3.5 tbsp rum (optional - or use another flavour such as Bailey's, Kahlua, Grand Marnier etc)

Place the chocolate in a bowl.
Heat the cream till just boiling. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes.
Stir the mixture gently to get a uniform smooth mixture. Stir in the if using.
Fill the 6" chocolate tart. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Praline chocolate filling (adapted from Matt Moran's chocolate filling for the ARIA chocolate tart here)
(for four 3" tartelettes)
70g Valrhona Guanaja dark chocolate, chopped
20g Valrhona Jivara milk chocolate, chopped
20g butter, diced
pinch of fine sea salt
pinch of espresso powder
105ml cream
3 tbsp praline powder
1 egg

Place the first five ingredients in a bowl.
Heat the cream till just boiling. Remove from heat, pour over chocolates mixture. Let sit for a minute or two. Stir gently to combine.
Add the praline powder. Give it a few stirs. Whisk in the egg.
Divide equally among four 3" tartelettes. (There'll be some leftovers, don't waste! Pour into tiny baking shot glasses and bake for mini puddings.)
Bake at 160C for 25 minutes.
Cool on a cooling rack. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream on the side (optional).