Mini Chocolate Orange S'mores Tarts {Can Be Made Vegan}
These mini chocolate orange s’mores inspired tarts look so cute and taste so delicious but they are actually quite easy to make. They can also easily be made vegan by using vegan butter and vegan dark chocolate. The marshmallow topping is so simple to make using aquafaba - the liquid that is drained from a tin of chickpeas - which is magical.
When aquafaba is whipped up with sugar, it behaves very much like meringue mixture made with egg whites - it can even be scorched with a blowtorch. I’ve used it here to make a vegan marshmallow fluff to top these s’more inspired chocolate orange mini tarts. It tastes incredible - nothing like chickpeas - and it’s so easy to make. Save your chickpeas for some yummy houmous or chickpea curry.
The filling of these tarts is a really simple vegan chocolate orange ganache made using dark chocolate, orange juice and a little sugar. Orange juice whisked with dark chocolate over a low heat makes the most incredible citrusy, smooth, glossy ganache - I often use this instead of cream-based ganache now because it works so well and it’s a bit healthier. I love the flavour - it’s so rich and zingy.
I’ve used an easy shortbread biscuit recipe with orange zest for the ‘pastry’ bases - they are short, crispy and a really nice contrast in texture to the smooth ganache and fluffy marshmallow. This recipe makes 36 mini tarts, so unless you have 3 tins (I used a shallow bun tin which is also known as a fairy cake tin or Yorkshire pudding tin) you will need to make the bases in 3 batches. It’s a little bit time consuming but fairly easy. These are nice to make for a special occasion, if you have friends who are vegan or allergic to egg & dairy.
Mini Chocolate Orange S'mores Tarts {Vegan}
Makes: Around 36 mini tarts
Hands on time: Around 60 minutes
Cooking time: 12-15 minutes (per batch)
INGREDIENTS:
For the shortbread ‘pastry’ cases:
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges (save juice for ganache)
100g caster sugar
200g butter (or vegan butter) plus extra for greasing
300 plain flour, plus extra for sprinkling
For the chocolate orange ganache:
200g plain or dark chocolate, broken into pieces
130ml strained orange juice (from 2 oranges)
30g caster sugar
For the vegan marshmallow topping:
100ml aquafaba (from 1 can of chickpeas)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional - helps it keep it’s shape)
130g caster sugar
Extra orange zest to decorate (optional)
METHOD:
To make the shortbread ‘pastry’ cases:
Cream together the butter, sugar and orange zest until smooth. Stir in the flour to make a smooth dough. Split the dough into three equal batches, wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 15 minutes (or longer if using vegan butter).
Take a 12 hole shallow bun tin / fairy cake tin / Yorkshire pudding tin, lightly grease each hole with butter and sprinkle with flour to ensure they don’t stick.
Working with one batch of dough at a time (unless you have more than one tin), roll out the dough to around ½ cm thick and cut out 12 rounds using a scalloped edge cookie cutter approximately 7cm in diameter.
Pop each round into the holes of the bun tray and press inside using your fingers lightly to mould to the shape of the tin.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190 C/170 fan/gas 5 for 12-15 minutes until golden. Leave to cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin carefully and cooling completely on a wire rack.
Repeat with the remaining two batches of dough to make 36 shortbread mini tart cases.
To make the chocolate orange ganache:
Put the chocolate, orange juice & sugar in a pan and whisk over a low heat until smooth, glossy and completely combined.
Leave to cool to room temperature before spooning equally into each of the cooled shortbread cases. Leave to set completely.
To make the vegan marshmallow topping:
Put the aquafaba and cream of tartar into a large bowl or stand mixer. Mix on a medium speed for around 3 minutes until foamy, then increase the speed to high and whisk for 5-10 minutes until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking between each addition to stiff peaks. When all the sugar has been added you should have a smooth, glossy meringue-like mixture.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe onto the tarts either in a zig zag formation or swirls. Scorch lightly with a blow torch. Decorate with a little extra orange zest if you like.
