Spider Tarts (Mint Chocolate Tarts)

Oh no spiders have invaded my chocolate tarts! Don't be afraid, the outside might be scary but the inside is sweet. Just brush off the spiders and take a bite and you'll find these spooky tarts taste just like a mint slice cookie, which happen to be a favourite of mine.

These mint tarts will make a perfect Halloween dessert, or change the decorations and have them anytime. They are pretty easy to make and look a bit fancy with their glossy dark chocolate ganache tops.

Under the top layer of ganache hides my favourite part, the layer of spooky/sweet green white chocolate ganache is so yummy flavoured with peppermint. Served with a glass of milk/ spider venom these might just be my new number one dessert.

Mint Slice Spider Tarts  (full recipe at end of post)

For the Chocolate Base
125 grams plain flour
30 grams icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
70 grams cold butter (cubed)
1 egg yolk
2-3 teaspoons cold water

For the White Chocolate Mint Ganache
150 grams white chocolate
75 mls cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint essence
a few drops green food colouring

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache
150 grams dark chocolate
125 mls cream

1/3 cup white chocolate melts
plastic spiders to decorate

To make the tart base-  Add the flour, sugar, cocoa and butter into a food processor, process until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and cold water and process until you have a smooth dough.

Press the dough into a disk and wrap in cling wrap, place into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes. Grease five mini fluted tart tins with butter.

Divide the dough into 5 portions, roll each ball of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to about 1/2 cm thick. Line the prepared tart tins with the rolled dough and trim off the edges.

Chill the lined tart tins in the fridge for 15 minutes and preheat oven to 180 degrees c. Cover the uncooked pastry with baking paper and fill with dried rice or baking weights  Bake the tart bases for 10 minutes, remove the weights and paper and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until cooked through.  Allow to cool and prepare mint ganache.

To make the mint ganache- finely chop the white chocolate and add to a medium bowl.

Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Once the chocolate looks melted, after about a minute, stir until smooth. Stir in the mint flavouring and green colour.

Pour the green ganache into the cooled pastry shells and allow to set in the fridge for about 1 hour. (I was impatient and sped things up in the freezer, it worked out fine but keep an eye on it.) Toward the end of the hour make the dark chocolate ganache.

To make the dark chocolate ganache- finely chop the dark chocolate and add to a medium bowl.

Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for a minute and then stir until smooth.

Pour the chocolate ganache over the green ganache and allow to set in the fridge for 2 hours.

For the spider webs- add the white chocolate melts to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate 20 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted. Pour the chocolate into a fine tipped piping bag. Pipe a spider web on top of each of the tarts and finish with a plastic spider.

Enjoy!!

Mint Slice Spider Tarts makes 5 ( Based on recipe from Good Taste)

Chocolate Pastry Base
125 grams plain flour
30 grams icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
70 grams cold butter (cubed)
1 egg yolk
2-3 teaspoons cold water

• Add flour, sugar, cocoa and butter into a food processor, process until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. 
• Add the egg yolk and cold water and process until you have a smooth dough.
• Press dough into a disk and wrap in cling wrap, chill in fridge for 10 minutes. 
• Grease five mini fluted tart tins with butter.
• Divide the dough into 5 portions, roll each ball of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to about 1/2 cm thick. 
• Line the prepared tins with the rolled dough and trim edges.
• Chill the lined tart tins in the fridge for 15 minutes, preheat oven to 180 degrees c. 
• Cover the uncooked pastry with baking paper, fill with dried rice or baking weights.
•  Bake 10 minutes, remove the weights and paper and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until cooked through.  
• Allow to cool and prepare mint ganache.

White Chocolate Mint Ganache
150 grams white chocolate
75 mls cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint essence
a few drops green food colouring

•  Finely chop the white chocolate and add to a medium bowl.
• Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate.
•  Allow chocolate to melt for a minute, stir until smooth. 
• Stir in the mint flavouring and green colour.
• Pour the green ganache into the cooled pastry shells, set in the fridge for about 1 hour. 
• Toward the end of the hour make the dark chocolate ganache.

Dark Chocolate Ganache
150 grams dark chocolate
125 mls cream

• Finely chop the dark chocolate and add to a medium bowl.
• Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate.
• Allow to sit for a minute and then stir until smooth.
• Pour the chocolate ganache over the green ganache and set in the fridge for 2 hours

Spider Webs
1/3 cup white chocolate melts
plastic spiders to decorate

•  Add the white chocolate melts to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate 20 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted. 
• Pour the chocolate into a fine tipped piping bag. Pipe a spider web on top of each of the tarts. 
• Top with a plastic spider.