Life can get crazy hectic this time of year can’t it? One day it is summer weather all casual and laid back and the next thing you know it is wintry weather with lots of layers needed for venturing out. Along with that, “The Holidays”. I try to keep this time of the year as laid back as possible. I have never been a perfectionist and for that I am thankful. This works well during the Holidays. When it comes to Holiday cooking, I go for delicious and simple, not fussy. These little chocolate meringue tarts are all of those things.
The tart shells were store-bought then filled with a simple dark chocolate pudding and topped with a meringue. That’s it. I try to cut down on the “crazy” any way I can.
Sometimes you just can’t wait.
Deliciously Easy Chocolate Meringue Tarts
Ingredients:
- 10 pre-made mini tart shells (fresh, boxed or frozen)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 eggs – yolks and whites separated carefully – 4 yolks for pudding
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites for meringue
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Note: or you can used meringue powder and whip according to pkg directions
Directions:
- In a saucepan whisk together the 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk and egg yolks until well blended.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. This takes about 6-8 minutes. Remove pudding from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula for gently push pudding through the sieve.
- Immediately add butter and chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Add vanilla extract and blend well.
- Place mini tart shells out on a flat tray and fill with warm pudding. Turn oven to 400 degrees.
- Whip egg whites with a mixer until soft peaks and then slowly add in sugar. Beat a few more minutes. Spoon meringue onto filled tarts. Place in oven and bake just until meringue starts to brown. Remove from oven to cool on a rack until ready to serve.
Note: If you have pudding left over cover and chill for later!
teresablackburnfoodstyling.com
Did I ever tell you that my mom made two chocolate meringue pies on the weekend. One was for Sunday dinner. The other we whittled away at for breakfast the following week (with a side of oatmeal). Breakfast of champions. Those tarts are beautiful.
Hey Candace, I love, love the two chocolate pie story…and for breakfast it would have been Nirvana! These are just easy little tarts…maybe for breakfast in 2019?