Macaroon Tarts with Chocolate Ganache
I woke up yesterday morning thinking about macaroons. As one does. (You know the difference between macaroons and macarons, right? Macaroons are those chewy mounds of coconut and sugar, bound together by egg whites. Macarons are those fancy $2-per-pop French filled sandwich cookies made with ground almonds.) Macaroons and chocolate are pals – as a kid, I’d beg my mom to buy those Ruffles, which would last approximately five minutes in our house.
I realize there aren’t a whole lot of Easter recipes on this site, and it occurred to me that macaroons come with an added holiday bonus: when pressed into tart shells, they resemble nests. And that little space in the middle provides an ideal chocolate delivery service. AmIright?
Ganache, of course, is just a fancy way of saying chocolate and cream, melted together. The ratio of chocolate:cream determines the texture of the ganache; 3:1 is ideal for truffles you can roll with your hands. 1:2 makes the best pourable chocolate sauce. Somewhere in the middle is perfect for a soft, truffle-like filling that will take the shape of whatever you pour it into or over.
The chocolate eggs are, of course, optional – you could top these with a berry, or more toasted coconut, or a drizzle (or cap) of white chocolate. But if you’re looking for a little something to bring to an Easter gathering this weekend, these might just deliciously fill the gap.
Macaroon Tarts with Chocolate Ganache
AuthorJulie
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, stir together the coconut, sugar and egg whites. Spray a small tart pan or mini muffin pan with nonstick spray and press about a tablespoon of the coconut mixture into each, gently pressing into the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to cool, but use a thin knife to run around the edge of each and remove it from the pan while it's still warm.
To make the ganache, warm the cream in a small saucepan until steaming. Add the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Spoon into the cooled tart shells and refrigerate until it firms up - top each with a chocolate egg.
Makes about 2 dozen tarts.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, stir together the coconut, sugar and egg whites. Spray a small tart pan or mini muffin pan with nonstick spray and press about a tablespoon of the coconut mixture into each, gently pressing into the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to cool, but use a thin knife to run around the edge of each and remove it from the pan while it's still warm.
To make the ganache, warm the cream in a small saucepan until steaming. Add the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Spoon into the cooled tart shells and refrigerate until it firms up - top each with a chocolate egg.
Makes about 2 dozen tarts.
Yum! I think I need to try these!
Made these little treats for dessert tonight. Didn’t have mini tart pan so made them in regular sized muffin pan. Everyone loved them and were glad they were larger… More room for chocolate, they said. In fact, if they were even a little larger we could fit three mini eggs into the nest! :)) thanks for the inspiration and sharing this easy to make recipe. Happy Easter, Julie. You bring us joy.
Aw, thank you! You guys all bring me joy too! So glad you liked this one! xo
I can relate… macaroons,and especially coconut ones, pops into mind from time to time. These though…. wowsers! They look delicious! 😀 x
Replying to Caite’s comment…you could also color some coconut with green food coloring & put a bit on top for Easter “grass” with those Cadbury “eggs”.
I was also thinking of another variation with banana-date pudding in the coconut cups with a bit of chocolate sprinkles or a small piece of date on top. ?
Thanks for the recipe, Julie!