| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 24 tartlettes |
Ingredients
- Heaping 3/4 cup sugar
- Scant 1/2 cup egg whites (from about 3 eggs)
- 3/4 pound (scant 2 1/2 cups) sweetened flaked or desiccated coconut (not shredded)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- A few toasted almonds, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the sugar, egg whites, and coconut together. Put a spoonful in each of 24 mini-muffin cups or individual tart molds. Press the dough into the molds to make little cups, with sides and a well for holding the chocolate filling. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans, then gently remove.
- To make the filling, place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan just until boiling, then pour it over the chocolate and let it sit 1 minute then whisk gently to till glossy to melt the chocolate completely.
- Fill the tarts by pouring in the warm chocolate filling. Sprinkle a few pieces of chopped almond in the center of each tart while they’re still warm. Let set at room temperature at least 1 hour before serving, and serve them the same day they are made.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 140 |
| Total Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 7 mg |
| Sodium | 14 mg |
Reviews
I discovered that you cannot let them cool. Start working on getting the tart shells out of the pan while they’re still warm. Work around the edges with a knife, then use a teaspoon to get them out gently. The cooler they are, the harder it is to get them out of the pan! The last one needed a jackhammer. I have crumbs all over the counter and wall to show for my efforts. Too much trouble to deal with on Christmas Eve….
I agree with the previous review about the cooking time. I suggest that you cook them longer than the recipe states and let them cool down completely before you take them out of the pan. The crispy ones came out easier than the soft ones did. If the coconut sticks, you can re-mold the bottoms while still warm, and once you fill with chocolate you don’t notice it.
Everyone loved them!
Everyone loved them!
While the flavor of these treats is delicious (the chocolate ganache is to die for!), like other reviewers, I had difficulty with the “dough” part. It puffed up in the oven, ruining the cup-like shapes I had worked so hard to make. I also sprayed my muffin tins and then let the cups sit for a day before removing them, but still had a tough time getting them out without breaking them. I think I’ll save this recipe but only for the ganache which came out so well – the coconut part just isn’t worth the trouble.
I am a huge fan of Gale Gand. I have made several of her receipes and have never had a problem until this one. It is very difficult to get the cups out of the muffin pan. Chilling the mixture, double greasing the non-stick muffin tins are all good ideas but they are not suggested in the receipe. The final product is awesome but it does not remotely resemble the picture in the book. This is not a simple dessert.
My husband complained because he hates having sweets around- we had his friend over for dinner. The next morning when I awoke they were all gone. They were very simple and easy to make!!
These were SO good. I added a 1/2 tsp of almond extract to the coconut mixture, since I saw that in other recipes. It was very subtle, but a nice addition. I read the older reviews, so refrigerated the mixture first, and used silicone pans to help the shells not stick. I hadn’t read the most recent reviews, but baking them longer would also help. In addition, the more egg white, the stickier it will be. I had used the weight, not volume measurement for the coconut, so that might make a difference too. I actually baked them less than instructed, since I think she used a different tart size. I used the tiny muffin size, which yielded about 2.5 times what is stated in the recipe. You definitely do need to press the cups down in the center as they come out of the oven, as they do puff up, I think Gale Gand mentioned that on her show (you can fit more chocolate in that way too). Funny, I thought of the same thing as the previous review — I saved some to fill with lime curd that I will make today.
Because of the other reviews I did the shells a couple days ahead in case there were problems. I also took precautions…I double buttered my nonstick mini muffin pans freezing between each coat of brushed on melted butter. I also baked them longer than the recommended time. I think about 8 minutes longer then I turned off the oven and left them in there until they were dark golden and crispy. It seemed to take that long to get the centers of the “cups” firm and done. After they cooled I could loosen any stuck cups with a teaspoon and gently swipe them out. I had perfect little shells after taking a little extra time. These were sooooo awesome. Crisp shells with a smooth center right away. After a couple of days in the fridge they were soft and chewy on the outside and equally yummy, just different. I will definately make these again. The shells would also be great filled with lemon curd or ???
Fantastic recipe. Only problem I had was the coconut shell sticking some to the pan, but other than that it was a winner at a birthday party!
This tasted wonderful and was a hit with my relatives. The ganache was right on–glossy and smooth. The whisking must have been the trick. The crust was difficult. The mixture quickly became loose and gloppy and hard to spread in the tart pan. Maybe the mixture should be refridgerated for awhile? The inside rose while baking but the outside was golden. I had to depress the coconut with a spoon to create a well for the ganache.
This is such a great tasting dessert. I added 1t of almond extract.