Name: Cream Cheese Chocolate Mousse Tarts - Mini Tarts
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 110 grams Bittersweet chocolate (60% cocoa or more); 120 ml Whipping cream; 30 grams Powdered sugar; 1 tbsp Cornstarch; 120 grams Cream cheese; 2 tsp Vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp Salt; 24 shells Store-bought ready to use (or ); 24 shells Shortcrust pastry (homemade ); 24 shells Rich Shortcrust pastry (homemade)

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Do not be fooled by their small size; these cream cheese chocolate mousse tarts are rich, creamy, and indulgent. A rich, chocolate, and cream cheese-based mousse in a buttery shortcrust-based mini tart shell. The shells can be homemade or store-bought for a quick semi-homemade dessert. Also, the filling takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare. And you don’t need any special skills to pipe a little star in each tartlet.

Mini Chocolate Tarts

The benefits of readymade tart shells

We have been in the mood for mini tarts recently, and these were perfect to satisfy our chocolate cravings. And if you love cream cheese tarts or chocolate tarts, then these are the best of both worlds.

If you ever need a quick dessert, mini tarts would be a great choice if you buy the tart shell readymade. These are readily available at most supermarkets these days and have a long shelf life. As a result, you can have them in the pantry for a few days.

In addition, the best thing for me about mini tarts is that they look so impressive. Also, they are bite-sized, so serving them is easier than slicing a large pastry tart. Know what I mean?

Do you bake your tart shells? I must admit I do like homemade. And in the beginning, I’d feel guilty about using the store-bought shells. And yet, life gets in the way, and it’s not always possible to make them at home. So over the years, I have come to accept that it’s okay to buy a few tart shells once in a while. However, I never buy the large shells. Since I take pride in making those myself.

Mini Cream Cheese Tarts

About these mini tarts

A buttery shortcrust pastry and rich, creamy chocolate mousse. Need I say more? A bite-sized mini tart that just melts in your mouth. And yet, this is one of those desserts you make when you are not on a diet. So yeah, if you make this dessert, it’s because you want to enjoy some luxury.

And now, for the mini tart, if you choose not to buy the tart shells, the shortcrust pastry can be made at home. And I have the recipe and tutorial for you right here on my blog. In addition, the filling doesn’t get any easier than this. It’s literally a three-step process.

Melt the chocolate
Whip the cream
Combine the two
Pipe into shells … and voila! Doesn’t get easier than this. Does it?

Ingredients and substitutes

Pastry tart shells – These are very easy to find in almost any supermarket these days. And you can find them in eggless, gluten-free, and vegan options. So look for one that suits your diet. And if you want to make these at home, I have a wonderfully detailed recipe for shortcrust pastry that you can use. So instead of making a large tart, make them in mini tarts.
Whipping cream– I highly recommend using 35% fat whipping cream. Since the low-fat versions will have too much liquid and not whip well to soft peaks, the excess moisture can also cause the crust to get soggy. So, if you plan to use a low-fat version, I recommend assembling them closer to serving rather than ahead of time.
Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar. If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, use two tbsp caster or fine-grain sugar.
Cream cheese – I have used 40% mascarpone cream cheese. Again, do not use low-fat because the liquid in low-fat will make the tart shell soft.
Chocolate – Don’t get me started on this because you know how I feel about chocolate. The quality of chocolate you use in your recipes is what you will taste. This is it! You don’t have to buy an expensive brand, but please use good-quality chocolate. No baking chocolate and no compound chocolate. If you are going to indulge, make it count.
Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. Premium vanilla can be expensive, which is why I make my own homemade vanilla extract, bean paste, or sugar.

Mini Cream Cheese Tarts

Step-by-step instructions

Mini Cream Cheese Chocolate Mousse Tarts

The mini tart shells

I used ready-made store-bought mini flower tart shells.
But you can also make them yourself using my recipe for shortcrust pastry.
These can be made ahead of time – (up to several days ahead of time – just keep them covered in an airtight box).

The mousse

Melt chocolate in the microwave or double boiler and set aside to cool.
Whip the cream with powdered sugar, salt, and cornstarch until soft peaks.
Add cream cheese, followed by vanilla extract.
Combine the melted chocolate with the whipped cream mixture.
Chill for 10 minutes so it firms up and becomes piping consistency.
Transfer to a piping bag with a large star piping tip.
Pipe large chocolate mousse stars.
Decorate with chocolate shavings.

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Veena Azmanov