Chocolate Mousse Tarts, for anyone who adores chocolate. An easy homemade tasty chocolate crust, filled with a creamy chocolate mousse. Perfect as a dessert for any occasion, even Valentine’s Day!

I don’t know about you but I love chocolate, dark, milk and even white chocolate and now I had the pleasure of trying Ruby Chocolate, so what could be better than a chocolate pastry filled with chocolate mousse!?

How to make it

Making the Pastry

Depending on which pastry you decide to use for this recipe I used my Chocolate Pie Crust. Once the dough is made and chilled, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut out with a round cookie cutter or if you wish a fancier one.

Place the cut outs in the prepared tart or muffin pan, prick the bottom of each tart a few times with the tongs of a fork.

Place a small piece of parchment paper on top and fill with beans, rice or even sugar, blind bake the tarts. Let cool completely before filling.

Making the mousse

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. In a small pot heat the milk to very hot, pour over chocolate, let sit for 30 seconds then stir to combine with a small whisk or spatula (if at this time the chocolate is still not completely melted, place over a simmering pot of boiling water, making sure water does not touch bottom of dish, and stir until melted) remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl beat whipped cream until firm peaks form, fold in cooled melted chocolate. If you find the mousse not thick enough, whip again until thickened (this can happen when making the white chocolate mousse).

Fill each tart with the chocolate mousse, top with fresh fruit if desired. Refrigerate until serving.

How to blind bake

Prick the bottom of the tarts well with a fork. Cover the bottom of the crusts with parchment paper and add dried beans or pie weights on top, bake in a pre-heated 350F (180C) oven for approximately 12-15 minutes (if the tarts are not baked, then bake for an additional 3-5 minutes without the beans and parchment paper).

What is Mousse?

Classic Mousse is made of 4 ingredients, eggs, dark chocolate, sugar and vanilla. It is a soft light creamy dessert that can be either sweet or savory. This “Mousse” is an egg free version. Fast and easy.

What is the best type of flour to use for a crust?

If you want to make cookies with this dough with any leftovers then you should use a higher protein all purpose flour with at least 11-12% protein. If you are going to use it for just pies or tarts then it’s best to use a pastry flour or 00 flour which has a protein count of 8-9% protein. The lower protein will give you a more tender and flakier crust. The higher protein will keep the cookies from spreading.

What is the best chocolate to use for the mousse?

I used a good quality dark chocolate (55% cocoa) but if you prefer you can substitute with white chocolate or even do a half and half with dark and milk chocolate. Anyway is a good way! Just be sure to stay away from chocolate chips they may contain the ingredient soy lecithin that helps the chip hold it’s shape, that is why chocolate chips are not meant to be melted. When they are melted the chocolate is thick and sometimes grainy.

Can I substitute the chocolate pie crust?

If you do not want to use a chocolate crust then by all means you can substitute with an Italian Pie Crust, a Brown Sugar Dough or even a Classic Pie Crust. Or you can skip the crust completely and serve the mousse on it’s own with some fresh berries on top.

How to Store it

The pastry dough can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 2-3 days. Make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before storing.

How to freeze Pie Crust

This recipe makes enough for a 2 pie crust, I used half the recipe for these tarts, the other half I froze. To freeze the dough, wrap it in plastic and place in a freezer bag or an air tight container. It will keep in the freezer for about three months. The dough should be thawed in the refrigerator, then roll it out as per your recipe instructions.

More Chocolate Recipes

Italian Chocolate Pie

Thick Italian Hot Chocolate

Homemade Chocolate Liqueur

Big Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

So if you are looking for a delicious dessert idea then I hope you try these Chocolate Mousse Tarts, and why not top them with some sliced kiwi or mandarin orange or even fresh or frozen berries, you decide. But be sure to let me know what you think. Enjoy!