Raspberry and dark chocolate tartlets

Instructions

Gluten-free almond and chocolate shortcrust pastry

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment combine butter, rice flour, rice starch, almonds flour, cocoa powder, icing sugar, salt and Mahleb and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add eggs and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the pastry has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a micro-perforated baking tray with micro-perforated silicone mat. Grease generously with butter 6 tartlet rings (Ø 8,5 cm x h 2 cm) and place them onto the prepared baking tray.
5. Roll the chilled shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface to approximately 2-3 mm in thickness, adding flour when needed so it doesn't stick.
6. Cut out the rolled pastry with the tartlet ring to obtain the base. Place the pastry base onto the prepared baking tray. Cut out a pastry strip of 8,5 cm long and 2,5 cm high and line the side of the ring. Join the ends of the pastry strip and trim some of the excess pastry that is overhanging the side of the ring, using a knife. Place the ring over the pastry base, so that the pastry base is perfectly inside the ring and ensure that the edges of the pastry base stick well to the pastry sides. Freeze for at least 1h. 
7. Line the frozen and unbaked tart shells with heatproof plastic wrap and fill it firmly to the top with uncooked rice (any type of legume or cereal also works well). Bring the sides of the wrap together at the top like a parcel, so it is easier to remove.
8. Place the tartlets in the oven, reduce the temperature at 150°C and pre-baked for about 15 minutes. Remove the rice and bake for a further 15 minutes at 150°C to finish baking.
9. Remove the tartlets from the oven and dust with cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) while they're still hot. This prevents the pastry to get soggy once filled with the cream. Once the tartlet is lukewarm to touch, gently remove the tartlet ring. Do not worry if you don't have the cocoa butter powder, because the baked and cooled tart will be covered with a thin chocolate layer (see below). 
10. Melt some Bahibé 46% milk chocolate in the microwave to 45°C. Brush the melted chocolate all over the base and the sides of the baked pastry shell, into a thin layer. The chocolate makes a barrier which prevents the shortcrust pastry from getting moist, as making the tart even crispier and tastier. Allow the chocolate to harden at room temperature or in the fridge, eventually.

Gluten-free Manjari 64% dark chocolate and puffed rice croustillant

1. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave to 45-50°C. Stir through the hazelnut praliné to get a smooth mixture.
2. Add in the puffed rice and salt and mix well, ensuring that the puffed rice is well coated with chocolate. 
3. Spread a thin layer of the croustillant into the base of each tartlet. Leave it to harden at room temperature or in the fridge. 

Manjari 64% dark chocolate light ganache

1. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave to 45-50°C.
2. Heat the first amount of cream (1) without bringing to boil. Add the warm cream to the melted chocolate in 3 times, stirring with a rubber spatula at each addition of liquid, in order to obtain a smooth and shiny ganache. Let the ganache to cool down to 40-45°C at room temperature.  
3. Semi-whip the second amount of cream (2) in a light and soft consistency (soft peaks). Check the temperature of the ganache: when it is 40-45°C, add in the semi-whipped cream in 2-3 times, folding gently with a rubber spatula in order to obtain a light, smooth and shiny mousse.
4. Pipe the ganache in each tartlet, covering the croustillant and reaching the top of the tartlet. Using a small palette knife, smooth off the mousse and chill in the fridge for 12h (overnight). 

Raspberry and balsamic vinegar compote

1. In a saucepan, combine fresh raspberries, raspberries puree, glucose syrup and honey and heat to 40°C.
2. In a small bowl, mix sugar and pectin NH. 
3. Add the mix of sugar-pectin to the warm raspberries mix once it is 40°C, mixing constantly with a fine whisk to let the mix of sugar-pectin dissolve into the liquids. Bring to boil and cook for around 1 minute to medium heat, mixing continuously with the whisk. The pectin NH is activated at the temperature of 70°C, so it's very important to bring the mixture to boil.
4. Remove from the heat and add in the balsamic vinegar, then pour into a baking dish. Cover with clingfilm touching the surface and chill in the fridge for about 1h, until the compote is firmed and cold. 
5. Transfer the chilled and gelled compote into a mixing glass and mix with the hand blender to obtain a smooth and soft gel.
6. Transfer the gel into a disposable piping bag and pipe into the ring-shaped insert mould (Ø 7,5 cm) from Silikomart The Ring 65 mould. Freeze for about 2h in a domestic freezer or for about 1h in a blast freezer.

Raspberry Inspiration crémeux

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
2. Melt Raspberry Inspiration in the microwave to 45°C.
3. Heat the raspberry puree with honey in the microwave without bringing to boil. Add in the soaked gelatin sheets and stir until dissolved.
4. Add the raspberry puree in 2-3 times to the melted couverture, stirring with a rubber spatula at each addition of liquid to get a smooth cream.
5. Transfer the cream into a mixing glass and emulsify with the hand blender to stabilize the emulsion. 
6. Add to wire the cold heavy cream, while mixing with the hand blender, in order to obtain a silky-smooth cream. Make sure the blade is submerged in the cream and not showing, to avoid air bubbles.
7. Transfer the crémeux into a baking dish, cover with clingfilm touching the surface and place in the fridge for 12h (overnight). 
8. The next day, remove the crémeux from the fridge at least 2h before assembling, so it gets soft and it is easier to pipe. 
9. Pipe the crémeux in the ring-shaped mould (Ø 8,5 cm) from Silikomart The Ring 65 mould, about 3/4 of the way full. Unmould the frozen rings of raspberry compote and insert in the crémeux, pressing down gently. Cover the insert with a layer of crémeux. Using a palette knife, smooth off the excess crémeux and place into the freezer for approximatively 2h (domestic freezer) or for about 1h in a blast freezer.

Natural-colored white chocolate mirror glaze 

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in 50 g cold water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave to 45°C, then transfer into a mixing glass. 
3. Heat 92 g of water, caster sugar, trehalose sugar and glucose syrup in a saucepan to 104°C.
4. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Emulsify with the hand blender without adding air bubbles and in order to obtain a smooth and shiny glaze.
5. Heat the Absolu Cristal in the microwave to 65°C and add into the glaze, followed by the drained gelatin sheets (add only the gelatin sheets and not the soaked water). Emulsify once more without adding air bubbles. Add the food colorings and blend once again. 
6. Pass the glaze through a sieve and pour into a baking dish. Cover with clingfilm touching the surface and chill in the fridge for minimum 12h or overnight.
7. Heat the glaze in the microwave to 45°C, then pour into a mixing glass and emulsify with the hand blender, ensuring the blade is submerged in the glaze and not showing, to avoid air bubbles. If you directly melt the glaze to 32-35°C (the temperature of usage), it will not be shiny and glossy. Place cling film on the surface of the glaze and cool it to 32-35°C. You can place the glaze in the fridge or take it at room temperature.
8. In the meantime, cover the working surface with two sheets of clingfilm, slightly overlapping. They will serve to collect the excess glaze. Place onto a cooling rack.
9. Once the glaze is 32-35°C, remove the raspberry rings from the freezer and unmould. Place the rings onto the cooling rack. Pour the glaze over each ring ensuring that it is fully covered. Allow the glaze to drip over the clingfilm sheets.
10. Once the glaze stops dripping, use a small palette knife to transfer the ring on top of the tartlet. Place in the fridge to defrost. 

Assembly and decoration

1. Temper Bahibé 46% milk chocolate, following this tempering curve: 45/48°C (melting chocolate in the microwave or in water-bath) - 27/28°C (cooling 2/3 of chocolate over a marble table or granite table) - 29/30°C (the chocolate is ready to use). Tempering chocolate is an essential step for making smooth and glossy chocolate decors. The tempering process takes chocolate through a temperature curve, a process which aligns the cocoa butter's crystals to make the chocolate look smooth, silky and glossy an to prevent the chocolate to get a dull and grayish color.  
2. Make the flexible chocolate band as described here. You need 6 stainless steel rings of Ø 8,5 cm (you can easily use the tartlet ring) and 6 acetate strips of h 3 cm and long enough to wrap the ring entirely. 
3. Wrap the flexible chocolate band around the tartlet. Garnish the centre of the raspberry ring with some fresh raspberries and edible flowers.