French Silk Tarts

We celebrated our son Jon's birthday this weekend. As always I asked him what he would like to have for his meal, I didn't have to ask what he would like for his dessert. Both our boys when it comes to dessert ask for the same thing year after year for their birthdays. Jon loves jello cake as we call it, I am not sure what the official name for it is, but I am sure most people have eaten it at one time in their life. It is the one where you bake the cake, poke the holes in the cake, pour the liquid jello all over the cake, and then top with cool whip.

Jon is our son that will be getting married next year in October, he loves this cake so much that he mentioned to his bride to be that it would be a good thing to have jello cake for their wedding cake. That suggestion did not go over so well. Jon's other siblings like jello cake as well, but not like Jon does. So this post is not about jello cake, actually is about the French silk pie (tarts) that I made along with the jello cake. I like to have other desserts for the ones that aren't too thrilled for jello cake like Jon is.

I bought some mini tart pans a couple of weeks ago so I thought it would be fun to make individual French silk little pies. The crust for the tart was perfectly buttery and a little bit of saltiness to go along with the sweet chocolate filling. The French silk filling was smooth and creamy, but make sure that they are made in advance. The recipe says to let them sit for six hours. I would recommend that they are made the day before you serve them; the filling takes time to firm up. The French silk tart was a hit and I am sure you will enjoy it too.

Pat-In-The-Pan Butter Dough (As found in the Joy Of Cooking)
(Makes eight 3 1/2 inch tartlet shells)
Whisk together in a bowl or process in a food processor for 10 seconds:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Add:
1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened
Mash with the back of a fork or process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle over the top:
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Stir or process until the crumbs look damp and hold together when pinched. Pat into tart pans and prick the bottom and sides before baking. Bake in a preheated  425 degree F oven until the crust is golden for about 10 to 12 minutes.

French Silk Pie (Tarts) (French Silk Pie filling - As found on tasteofhome.com)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate or semisweet, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Whipped cream and chocolate curls, optional
Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160 degree F  and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90 degree F), stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners; sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture.
Pour into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

View Printable Recipe