We’re huge fans of these tartlets; while everyone else is sharing a box of chocolates (nice, but dull), we’re putting ours in a box you can eat! These tartlets are delicious and beautiful, with a pleasant hint of nuttiness when you add hazelnut liqueur. Topped with chocolate shavings and a dollop of whipped cream, they make a perfect Valentine confection. (We like to make a couple of extra tartlets for the girls—plus, they make great midnight snacks!)

　　

Ingredients

makes 5 tartlets

　　One 18-ounce package refrigerated sugar-cookie dough (recommended: Nestlé Toll House)

　　5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

　　3/4 cup heavy cream

　　1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur

　　1 tablespoon light corn syrup

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1/8 teaspoon table salt

　　1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten

　　Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for garnish

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

　　

Step 2

Coat five 4 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms with nonstick spray.

　　

Step 3

Divide the cookie dough into 5 equal-sized balls. Press each ball into a tartlet pan, making sure they evenly cover the sides and bottoms. Put the pans on a cookie sheet in the oven, and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown. Remove the pans from the oven, and let cool completely.

　　

Step 4

Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.

　　

Step 5

Put the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream and hazelnut liqueur in a small saucepan over low heat, and bring up to a light simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and whisk until melted and smooth. Add the corn syrup, sugar, and salt, and whisk in the beaten egg until all the ingredients are combined. Ladle the filling into the cooled tart shells, and bake until the filling is set and the surface is glossy, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the tartlets from the oven, and let cool.

　　

Step 6

Once they’re cooled, remove the tartlets from pans and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.