I created these tarts for a bridal shower menu that I did for a maganize, but I loved them so much I decided to post them online. If you are looking for a wow factor in a meal you are serving, these are definitely the things to serve. Not only are they delicious, but they are also visually stunning. I have included the instructions to make the chocolate letters below and once you get the hang of it, they are not difficult. The letters pictured were made by my very talented fourteen year old niece, so they are also a great way to get older kids involved in the process. Typically you would use first letters of the bride and groom’s name, but you could do just the bride’s initials, or dispense with the letters all together. The tarts will still taste amazing without them. Do remember though that the tarts are small, and they are a sweet nibble rather than a big dessert.
White Chocolate Cheesecake Tarts
Makes about 25
Ingredients
25 mini croustade pastry shells 2 cups (500g) lite cream cheese 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon (175g) white chocolate bits, melted 1/2 pouch (4 grams) gelatine 4 eggs (separated) 2 ½ tablespoons icing sugar ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) lemon juice 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Method
Combine the gelatine and lemon juice and allow the gelatine to dissolve. Combine the egg yolks, cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and mix until smooth. Add one cup of the melted white chocolate. Wisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Put the cheese mixture into the fridge covered by a piece of plastic wrap (lay the plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture to prevent a skin forming) and leave overnight. Dip the tops of the pastry shells into the remaining white chocolate and allow them to set. Using a piping bag, pipe the cheese filling into the pastry shells, top with chocolate letters. Tarts can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 hours.
Per Tart
Calories
Fat
Sodium
Carbs
Fiber
Protein
119
7
151 mg
8 g
0 g
4 g
To make chocolate letters
30 grams of bitter sweet chocolate
Using a computer, print out the letters that you wish to copy in chocolate. You can play around and find a font that you like but you need to bear the size of the finished tarts in mind, so as to not make the letters too big or too small. For the letters pictured here I used Monotype Corsiva font at size ‘60’. As I said, you can play around with fonts to find one you like, but I found that the simpler ones gave me a better result, but that may be because drawing is not my strong suit. Print the letters out and place a piece of parchment paper over them. Melt the chocolate (the microwave works very well for this, especially for such a small amount of chocolate). Cut a square of parchment paper and twist it into a cone shape. The smaller you make the tip the easier it will be to pipe the letters and the better they will look. Using the letters under the parchment as a guide, use the melted chocolate to pipe letters. Leave the letters in a cool place and then when they are cooled, transfer the paper to the fridge. When the letters are fully set, place them on the tarts using the tip of a knife.
