These little desserts are all about contrast. Picture a spongy soufflé with a creamy center, sitting in a crisp pastry shell. Then there’s the sensation of the two different kinds of chocolate playing off the bright, acidic taste of the passion fruit. Experiment with the flavors of the soufflé if you want, but keep it acidic. Try it with a puree of red currant, black currant, or raspberry.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8

　　

For the Dough

1/2 recipe Chocolate Tart Dough (page 182)

　　

For the Chocolate Cream

2 ounces (62g) bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona Manjari 64% cacao), finely chopped

　　1/2 cup (120g) heavy cream

　　

For the Passion Glaze

1/2 teaspoon (1.5g) xanthan gum

　　1 teaspoon (4g) sugar

　　1 cup (250g) passion fruit puree

　　Seeds from 1 passion fruit

　　

For the Passion Soufflé

2 large egg whites

　　Cream of tartar

　　6 teaspoons (75g) sugar

　　1 large egg yolk

　　2 tablespoons (30g) passion fruit puree (see page 276)

　　

To Serve

Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

　　

For the Dough

Step 1

Spray eight mini brioche molds (3 inches across the top) lightly but evenly with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a 6-inch circle of dough and fit it into one of the molds to make sure you’ve got the correct size. (These molds vary in size, and there’s no point in cutting out all the pieces until you’re sure you’ve got it right.) Cut the rest of the dough and line the rest of the molds with it. Set the molds on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

　　

Step 3

Stack the scraps and reshape them into a brick. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate or freeze for another use.

　　

Step 4

Heat the oven to 375°F or 350°F on convection. Prick the pastry shells all over with a fork, then line them with parchment (or cut-down coffee filters) and fill with dried beans (or rice or pastry weights). Bake until the pastry is crisp, about 16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

　　

Step 5

Lift the parchment and beans out right away and let the shells cool completely on a rack.

　　

For the Chocolate Cream

Step 6

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

　　

Step 7

Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave it alone for about 1 minute. Stir with a heatproof rubber scraper until the chocolate is completely melted. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

　　

For the Passion Glaze

Step 8

Mix the xanthan gum and sugar together. Whisk into the passion fruit puree, a few grains at a time, taking care that it doesn’t clump. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, then stir in the passion fruit seeds. Refrigerate, covered, until you’re ready to serve.

　　

For the Passion Soufflé

Step 9

Put the egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk. Turn it on to low, and beat the whites gently for 2 minutes, to start establishing a structure. The whites will look frothy but still a bit wet. Turn the speed up to medium and add 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Continue to beat at medium speed until the whites have body and are just shy of having soft peaks. Add 2 more teaspoons of the sugar and continue beating until the whites have formed firm peaks. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and beat until the whites are glossy and smooth and almost stiff. Keep your eye on the whites, so you don’t overbeat them.

　　

Step 10

Whisk the yolk into the passion fruit puree in a wide bowl. Fold in a spoonful of the whites to lighten the puree. Then add the rest of the whites and fold in quickly and lightly, spinning the bowl as you fold.

　　

To Serve

Step 11

Heat the oven to 375°F or 350°F on convection.

　　

Step 12

Set the chocolate tart shells on a baking sheet.

　　

Step 13

Fill a pastry bag with the chocolate cream and pipe a plug of cream into the center of each shell. Fill a second pastry bag with the passion soufflé and pipe into the shells, covering the chocolate cream center completely.

　　

Step 14

Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, until the soufflés have risen and browned lightly. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.

　　

Step 15

Transfer to dessert plates and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if you want. Spoon the passion glaze over the tart or serve it on the side.

　　

make it simpler

Step 16

Replace the chocolate cream with mini candy bars. Use something creamy, like 3 Musketeers or Milky Way. Omit the pastry and bake the filled soufflés in ramekins that have been brushed with softened butter and coated with sugar.

　　Cooks' Note

　　You can assemble the tarts and freeze them for later baking, if you want. Don’t cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap until the soufflé mix has frozen, though; otherwise, you’ll make a mess of your tarts. You’ll need to bake them for another 1 to 2 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__