The intense dark chocolate flavor in these little tarts is proof that the best things come in small packages. For truly sensational flavor, use high-quality dark chocolate, such as Valrhona or Scharffen Berger, rather than garden-variety baking chocolate.

　　

Ingredients

makes eight 4-inch tart or one 9- or 10-inch tart

　　

Crust

Pecan Crust (recipe follows)

　　

Filling

3/4 cup sugar

　　1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　2 cups milk

　　3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

　　4 large eggs

　　2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

　　

Topping

4 large egg whites, reserved from the filling

　　1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

　　Pinch of kosher salt

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　

Pecan Crust

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

　　1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　1/2 cup ground pecans

　　2 large egg yolks

　　3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　(makes two 9-or 10-inch crusts or eight 4-inch crusts)

　　

Crust

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

　　

Step 2

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

　　

Step 3

Cut the dough to fit the tart pan(s) and press and mold the dough to create shells. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator, weight with pie weights, and prebake the shell(s) (see Know-How, page 345). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

　　

Step 4

Reduce the temperature to 350°F.

　　

Filling

Step 5

Combine the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir to mix. Combine 1 cup of the milk with the cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and add to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook and stir just until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

　　

Step 6

Separate the eggs, reserving the whites, and whisk the yolks in a bowl with the remaining 1 cup milk. Stir a small amount of the cocoa-milk mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Slowly whisk the yolk mixture back into the cocoa-milk mixture and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles around the edges, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, butter, and vanilla, stirring until the chocolate and butter melt.

　　

Step 7

Divide the filling evenly between the tart shell(s). Place on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

　　

Topping

Step 8

Place the reserved egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a glass or metal bowl and beat with an electric mixture on medium speed until light and frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar, beating constantly, until the whites are shiny and hold stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Do not beat the whites past this point or they will separate and become grainy.

　　

Step 9

Divide the meringue between the tarts, spreading with a spatula or piping with a pastry bag, and covering the custard completely to prevent the meringues from shrinking when baked. Form peaks by repeatedly drawing a knife or spatula across the meringue and then in an upward motion, or by piping with a pastry bag and ending with an upward motion.

　　

Step 10

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for a large tart or 5 to 7 minutes for small tarts, until the tips of the meringues are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the tart pans by carefully lifting the tart from the center of the pan base; the ring should slide right off. Serve.

　　

Pecan Crust

Step 11

Combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to mix. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives in a crosscutting motion until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter remains cool and doesn’t melt into the flour. Stir in the pecans.

　　

Step 12

Combine the egg yolks, the 3 tablespoons ice water, and the vanilla and stir to mix. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until the dough begins to clump together and is moist enough to pat together. Do not mix any more than necessary. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky.

　　

Step 13

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 2 balls. Form the dough into 2 flat disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 3 days.

　　

Step 14

Check the tart recipe for special rolling instructions. To prepare a basic tart shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes. Place on a lightly floured work surface. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Fold the dough in half or gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it over the tart pan. Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving about 1 inch of dough draped over the pan. Roll the extra dough under itself to form a rim around the edge of the pan. Crimp the rim of dough with your fingers or press with the tines of a fork. Prick the bottom of the crust two or three times with a fork to create small holes.

　　

Step 15

Cover the crust with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, before proceeding with a recipe or partially or fully prebaking the crust (see Know-how, page 345).

　　

Sea Salt Caramel Tarts

Step 16

Follow the recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts with Pecan Crusts (page 347), but with the following changes: Spread store-bought dulce de leche in the prebaked tart shells in place of (or in addition to) the chocolate filling. Just before baking, sprinkle a pinch of your best sea salt on top of the meringues and continue with the original recipe for baking the meringues.

　　

Know-how: Working with Meringue

Step 17

If you know a few basic rules, working with meringue is a breeze.

　　

Step 18

Eggs separate most readily when they are still cold, but for best results you should wait until the whites come to room temperature before beating them.

　　

Step 19

Always use a glass or metal bowl for whipping the eggs; plastic bowls tend to be greasier, and this residual grease can weigh the whites down and prevent them from whipping to stiff peaks.

　　

Step 20

When whipping egg whites, start on medium speed and beat until light and frothy; then increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form before slowly adding the sugar and continuing to beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

　　

Step 21

You can test the relative stiffness of the peaks by quickly dipping the beaters or a spatula into the whites. Soft peaks will curl over and begin to collapse when the beaters are lifted; stiff peaks are glossier and will stick straight up.

　　

Step 22

Do not beat meringue past the stiff-peaks stage or it will separate and become grainy.

　　

Step 23

Cream of tartar is often added because its high acid content helps stabilize meringue; the same effect can be achieved by adding a teaspoon or so of equally acidic lemon juice.

　　

Step 24

Wait to add sugar and any other flavoring agents until after you’ve beaten the egg whites to soft peaks; adding the sugar too soon will prevent expansion. Add the sugar slowly and beat constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.

　　

Step 25

When topping a pie with meringue, mound the meringue in the center of the pie and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it to the edges and make peaks. You can also use a pastry bag and tip to pipe the meringue and form peaks. Be sure the meringue touches the edges of the crust all the way around to prevent shrinking.

　　

Step 26

If topping a baked pie with meringue, place the meringue on the filling while it is still warm. The heat from the pie will begin to cook the bottom of the meringue and prevent a layer of weeping liquid from forming between the filling and meringue.

　　

Step 27

Always bake meringue in a preheated 350°F oven; temperatures below 325°F are too cool, and temperatures above 350°F are too hot. Meringue topping on a 9-inch pie typically takes 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven; smaller tarts will take less time, 5 to 7 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.