Chocolate Ganache Berry Tartelettes

For the crust:
In a large, wide bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add butter cubes and work into the flower using your fingers. Work butter into the dry mixture until a consistency of very coarse meal is achieved. Using a fork, add the beaten egg yolk and combine well. Mixture will appear to be quite dry and crumbly.

Spoon the mixture into 4 miniature tart pans with removable bottoms. Using your fingertips, press mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan evenly all the way around. Remove any excess dough from the top to form a flush, horizontal edge around the rim of the pan. Place pans in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Chilling the dough will help to prevent the crusts from puffing up. While crusts chill, prepare ganache (see below).

After ganache is prepared and crusts have chilled, preheat oven to 350ºF. Cut 4 squares of aluminum foil, each one large enough to lay on top of a tart pan, and grease one side of each square with butter. Remove tart pans from freezer and cover with aluminum squares, buttered side down. Bake covered pans for 18 minutes. Remove aluminum squares and bake for another 12 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

For the ganache filling:
Chop chocolate and place in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until it comes to a simmer. Pour half of the cream slowly over the chocolate pieces and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes. Gently whisk chocolate and cream mixture until combined, starting at the center of the bowl and moving out. Continuing to whisk, add remaining cream and mix until combined. Add butter cubes and stir with a spatula until all butter has melted. Ganache should be smooth and shiny. Set aside at room temperature.

For the topping:
After crusts have been removed from the oven and are cooling, wash and prepare berries. If you are using large blackberries, carefully cut them in half. Set berries aside.

In a medium bowl, combine very cold heavy cream and powdered sugar. Whisk or beat vigorously until cream forms soft peaks. It is helpful to place the entire bowl in the fridge for a few minutes during this process to cool the cream, which will help it whip up faster.

To assemble the tartelettes:
Carefully remove crusts from tart pans and remove the bottoms as well. By this point, ganache should be thick but spreadable. Spoon a large dollop of ganache into each crust and spread evenly. Top each generously with berries, keeping one berry of each type set aside. Dollop whipped cream onto each tartelette. Add a strawberry and a blackberry to the top of the cream on each to make ‘em pretty.

Tart is best served immediately, but can also be stored in the refrigerator for several days. If storing, remove from the fridge for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.