Chocolate and Passion Fruit -- Du chocolat et des fruits de la passion

Taking it Easy
Taking it Easy
Perhaps you are amongst those who celebrate Valentine's day. If so, have a wonderful day. P. and I? We typically prefer to keep it low key at home, entre-nous sans la foule, with a homemade meal and nice music to listen to -- and I am still not sure what we will eat. In fact, it is as simple as this: our celebration is to do as we please, without making a big fuss. No plan is good, giving us a break from planning too much, too often. So you know, we might even end up only nibbling on a variety of goodies. Who knows? Beside, we celebrated today two sweet life moments: P.'s move to Boston ten years ago and my fête (mon fête as he says, making me smile when he does): la Saint Béatrice. But this does not mean that there will be no sparkle and fun. Dessert, I hear you say? Mais bien sûr, a dessert. Something simple, but special all the same. Chocolate and passion fruit. I thought of an inviting dessert to combine both flavors, with a chocolate sweet crust and a passion fruit filling. The crust is incidentally gluten-free -- made of white rice flour, cornstarch and quinoa flours -- because this is the way I prefer to bake these days. It can well be made using all-purpose flour, up to you to choose what you like best. And what more, should you have problems finding passion fruits for the filling (they sell for near $3 the piece here, so this is a real treat), use lime juice instead. It just works as well, giving a refreshing zesty taste to the tartlets. Perhaps you prefer not to have chocolate? Just omit the cocoa powder then. You see, the options are wide open for you to do as you please, and preferably in good company and relaxed, as I wish everyone will have the chance to be. With plenty of love, whether it is Valentine's day or not. We surely do not need a special day for that, do we?
Chocolate and Passion Fruit Tartlets
Chocolate and Passion Fruit Tartlets
Chocolate and Passion Fruit Tartlets
(For 4 tartlets)
For the chocolate sweet crust (3 hours before or the day before) :
  • 1/3 cup white rice flour
  • 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp quinoa flour
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 Tbsp butter, cold and diced
  • 1 egg
Steps:
  • Add all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, and pulse.
  • Add the butter and work the pastry until crumbly.
  • Add the egg and mix to form a ball. Do not overwork the dough. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for 3 hours minimum or the night.
  • Roll your dough and place in small molds. Make little holes at the bottom and place in the fridge for 30 min.
  • Preheat your oven at 350 F. Cover the tartlets with a piece of parchment paper and rice and cook for 10 min. Remove the paper and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes. Let cool on a rack.
For the passion fruit cream (or lime):
  • 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp blond cane sugar
  • 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
  • 120 ml passion fruit juice*, or lime juice
  • 3 passion fruits, wrinkled (a sign that they are ripe)
  • Mint leaves (for the decoration)
*To get fresh passion fruit juice, you have to press the pulp through a meshed sieve to squeeze out the juice into a bowl. Discard the seeds. Steps:
  • Beat the sugar with the eggs and egg yolk until white and fluffy.
  • Add the fruit juice and mix. Pour into a bowl and place over a pot of simmering water.
  • Stir constantly; the cream will thicken. Once it starts thickening, add the butter gradually and keep stirring.
  • Pour the cream in a bowl placed in a container full of iced water. Let cool and place a plastic film on top. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Once the cream is cooled, add 3/4 of the passion fruit pulp and mix.
  • To make your tartlets, garnish the chocolate pastry crust with the cream.
  • Add the rest of the passion fruit pulp and decorate with a few mint leaves.
Note: this cream is not as thick as buttercream. I like this texture as it is less rich than this one for example, you can choose whichever you prefer.
Le coin français
Tartelettes au chocolat et aux fruits de la passion
(Pour 4 tartelettes)
Pour la pâte sucrée au chocolat (3 heures avant ou la veille) :
  • 60 g de farine de riz blanc
  • 60 g de farine de quinoa
  • 40 g de maïzena
  • 40 g de sucre glace
  • 2 càs de cacao en poudre non sucré
  • 80 g de beurre, froid coupé en morceaux
  • 1 oeuf
Étapes :
  • Dans le bol d'un mixeur, placez tous les ingrédients secs et mixez.
  • Ajoutez le beurre coupé en dés et travaillez la pâte jusqu'à l'obtention de grosses miettes.
  • Ajoutez l'oeuf et mixez pour former une boule qui se déetache du bol. Arrêtez de suite et enveloppez la pâte dans du film alimentaire. Placez au frigidaire pendant 3 heures minimum, ou toute une nuit.
  • Étalez votre pâte et foncez de petits moules. Piquez le fond avec une fourchette et mettez en attente au frais pendant 30 min.
  • Préchauffez votre four à 180 C. Faites précuire les fonds de tarte à blanc pendant 10 min (recouvert de papier et de riz), et 4 à 5 min (après avoir enlevé le papier). Laissez refroidir sur grille.
Pour la crème aux fruits de la passion (ou citron vert) :
  • 2 oeufs + 1 jaune d'oeuf
  • 125 g de sucre de canne blond
  • 100 g de beurre, froid
  • 120 ml de jus de fruits de la passion*, ou du citron vert
  • 3 fruits de la passion, bien fripés (signe qu'ils sont mûrs)
  • Feuilles de menthe (pour la décoration)
*Pour obtenir du jus de fruits de la passion frais, placez la pulpe dans un chinois et pressez de manière à en extraire le jus. Jettez les pépins. Étapes :
  • Mélangez le sucre avec les oeufs jusqu'àa blanchiment.
  • Ajoutez le jus de fruits de la passion (ou citron vert). Versez dans un bol et faites épaissir au bain-marie.
  • Une fois que la crème commence à prendre, ajoutez les dés de beurre froid, sans cesser de mélanger. La crème épaissit.
  • Versez-la dans une jatte placée dans un récipient rempli d'eau glacée. Filmez et mettez au frigo jusqu'au moment de servir.
  • Une fois la crème refroidie, ajoutez les 3/4 de la pulpe des fruits de la passion.
  • Pour assembler vos tartelettes, garnissez les fonds de tartelette de crème.
  • Ajoutez le reste de fruits de la passion, décorez de feuilles de menthe et servez.
Remarque : cette crème n'est pas aussi épaisse qu'une crème au beurre. Je l'aime comme cela, moins riche que celle-là par exemple, à vous de voir la texture que vous préfèrez.

47 Comments

  • Lisa ·

    Donna Hay had a few passionfruit recipes in the latest issue, but this looks better than all of them! We're lucky in Australia that they are usually pretty readily available. We actually used to have a passionfruit vine in the back yard at one stage! It had the most beautiful flowers.

  • FlaNBoyant ·

    Lovely, lovely! I love mint, too! :) Happy V-day, or what's left it.

  • Cakespy ·

    Wonderful. This almost makes me love Valentine's day again...

  • stephanie s ·

    As always, lovely photos, writing and recipe. It sounds like you and P have a lovely day planned (meaning no plan at all) even if V-Day isn't your thing. For me, V-Day is always a fun day since it is my birthday. I just wish everyone would enjoy the day for what it is, a simple reminder to tell those we love, that we love them. So with that I will tell you that I love your entries/photos and your unique view of the world, certainly edible and lovely. Thank you for sharing the love you have for food and life with all of us. BTW, what is the liquid in the bottle? Looks like fresh thyme. Happy Love Day :-)

  • Claude-Olivier ·

    sobre et splendide, ta tartelette me fait de l'œil, je te jure ;-) biz

  • b comme bon ·

    20 h… encore devant mon écran… je ferais bien un break… sauf que je n'ai pas ces jolies tartelettes à croquer… :-((

  • Eleonora ·

    Bonne Saint Valentin..à un blog formidable...haut en couleurs de passion..

  • Tartelette ·

    Bonne Fete et Bonne Saint Valentin! Ouh..des tartelettes...chocolat et fruits de la passion....on est sur les memes ondes en effet! Je mange les grains des fruits, j'adore quand ils craquent sous la dent!

  • janie ·

    I'm not sure how to say it, but Happy Saint's Day to you Bea!

  • Michelle @ Us vs. Food ·

    We don't really do the V-Day thing either... in fact, our weekly smackdownis tonight, and it's some decidedly unromantic fried chicken. I wasn't planning on making dessert (anathema!) but maybe now I will.

  • Tristan ·

    Béa, je n'ai pas découvert ton blog depuis bien longtemps mais c'est chaque fois un bonheur de te lire et de voir tes photos! Je compte faire ta recette du gâteau framboises mousse de citron ce we, je t'en dirai des nouvelles! Merci merci

  • Johannah ·

    Thank You for this beautiful blog! I had a question: Can I substitute all-purpose flour for quinoa flour in this tart recipe? Thanks

  • YOYO Cooking ·

    so cute tarte! love chocolate,love passion fruit~

  • connie ·

    nice contrasts Bea- the chocolate, the cream, very pretty

  • Sophie ·

    Passionnement attrative cette tartelette.

  • peabody ·

    We too are not in the V-day celebrating mode. What beautiful tarts...very romantic in my mind.

  • Aran ·

    I love the combination of sour passion fruit wih the sweetness of chocolate. Perfect! And I love you are baking gluten free these days. I just got into it too and in fact I am working on some gluten, dairy and soy free chocolate chip cookies for my next post. Your photos are stunning once again!

  • Vinciane ·

    Moi qui cherchais justement cette recette! Je la ferais demain! Merci

  • Vanille ·

    Dès que je vois fruits de la passion, je fonce. Alors cette petite tartelette et sa crème passion, à essayer sans tarder. Moi aussi, je garde les grains. Je garde tout dans ce fruit. Je crois vraiment que c'est mon préféré.

  • Rosa ·

    Those tartlets look very tempting! An original recipe and a wonderful combination! Cheers, Rosa

  • bergeou ·

    Quelle belle recette !

  • fofil ·

    magnifique!!magnifique!! je suis trés tentée!! bravo..!!

  • Sophie ·

    Lovely! There are such a lot of rich chocolate mousse/torte type desserts around this week but they are a bit too much for me. A sweet chocolate crust is much more appealing (though hubbie and I are having the pancakes that we didn't have time for on shrove tuesday as our valentine's day treat!)

  • Joanna in the kitchen ·

    Great dessert idea for St.Valentine's day. Sweet but not too sweet and not to heavy. It's kinda small, living a lot of space for other indulgements of this special day . Thanks for such a lovely inspiration and Happy Valentine's day to you and P.

  • Kat ·

    Happy Valentine's Day to you and P! these look wonderful.

  • katy ·

    that is so gorgeous! the color is so wonderful, and i'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled for quinoa flour!

  • mercotte ·

    je ne peut qu'adhérer à une pareille recette !! Bon , les pépins je les mange, je ne les jette pas !!!! mais ça c'est comme on veut !!!

  • Elise ·

    Great combination and beautiful as usual! I'm starving now... Bonne fete, Bea!

  • Julie O'Hara ·

    Such a great flavor combination. I was hoping you could explain the purpose of the cornstarch in your pastry...what is its function? I think of cornstarch as giving a dry, crumbly texture to things like cookies...maybe that's the case here, but in a more balanced way. Thanks, Bea! Bonne fete!

  • Patricia Scarpin ·

    Bea, I love chocolate and passion fruit together. A delicious combination!

  • Béa ·

    Elise, ahah, j'espere que tu as bien mange Mercotte, merci. Oui en fait, je garde les pépins des fruits ajoutés à la fin ;-) Katy, yes you should, you will not regret it. I just love using it. Makes baked goods very moist. Kat, thank you. To both of you too! Rosa, thank you. Bergeou, merci à toi. Fofil, tant mieux. C'est fait pour cela. Tentation! Sophie, ah yes, I realize that for desserts, I do not like things too rich anyway, or just a little of it, since I always love to eat what comes before ;-) Glad you like it. Joanna, totally. Vanille, oui pour nous aussi, ce n'est pas toujours facile de les trouver. Peabody, thank you! Aran, oh yes, baking gluten free has been a great (and is) experience. I am discovering a lot of incredible flavors. Not even to mention that nutrition wise, it is a boost of vitamins. Vinciane, super. J'espere que tu auras aime. Sophie, oui, on ne resiste pas ;-) Connie, thank you! Yoyo, you always make me smile. Johannah, yes. substitution is fine. Tristan, merci de ton très gentil mot. Cela me touche. Je suis impatiente de savoir ce que tu penses du gâteau. Bonne chance. Michelle, ahhah, hope you changed your mind. Janie, merci. Bonne fête is the way to say it ;-) Helen, complètement en phase. Eleonora, encore une fois merci à toi! Valérie, ah si la poste marchait plus rapidement! Stephanie, yes I agree with you. It is all about how one perceives it I think. No one should judge or say it is bad. If it means something to you, this is what matters. The liquid is thyme infused lemonade Claude, merci, il faut venir la chercher. Cakespy, thank you! Lisa, ah I will have to have a look then. Lucky you to have passion fruit trees.It is not a commonly found fruit around here. ANd expensive. Patricia, merci Julie, merci. And yes it makes the crust crumbly. And I always find cornstarch to add lightness to desserts as well versus regular flour.

  • Béa ·

    I will respond to your comments later, promise, but to answer Johannah's question, yes you can use all-purpose flour instead of quinoa, or white rice. Not the exact same taste, but will work just as well.

  • Tarzile ·

    Je sais que tu sais mais chaque photo est plus belle que la précédente. Ta tartelette est superbe. Excellent pour célébrer la Saint-Béatrice. Maintenant, il faut que je trouve des fruits de la passion. Parfois, il y a des choses qui deviennent si difficile à trouver tout à coup. Bon samedi.

  • coco ·

    a very pretty tart... I have never used quinoa flour though.. will have to keep my eyes open for them.

  • MyKitchhenInHalfCups ·

    Too much planning can ruin things Béa. We just need balance so there is room for fun and calm. Lovely tart.

  • Miss Diane ·

    Je meurs d'envie d'essayer cette croûte au chocolat sans gluten, ainsi que la garniture, évidemment!

  • Roï ·

    Thanks! I never thought about it... :)

  • Béa ·

    Roi, I find that if I work the dough too much (I make mine using a Kitchen Aid Stand mixer), the butter becomes too soft and creamy. So the less the better. Bea

  • Roï ·

    Bonjour Béa, The tart looks great, and I'll be doing it soon. I have a small question, you've said "Do not overwork the dough". As much as I know, it is important for stopping the gluten from developing. But as we don't have gluten in the rice's and quinoa's flour, why is it important? Thanks :)

  • jacqualine ·

    Ahh! Passion on Valentines Day with chocolate and my Amore.

  • Bella ·

    It looks so good! One quesiton: if i would like to make it as a big tarte, do I have to make any changes in the recipe?

  • Béa ·

    Hello Bella, Thanks for your note. I have not tried it yet as a big tart, but I would say what makes 4 small gives an 8 inch pie dish.

  • mounia ·

    i meant to ask so im using only all purpose flour is 2/3 cup good let me know i wanna meke it tonight

  • mounia ·

    Woow i love you blog i found it yesterday night as i was going to sleep and end up staying soooo late reading it and enjoying it and here i am this morning writing this message cause i cant get enough thank you soo much for your hard work of

  • Denise Browning@frombraziltoyou ·

    Gorgeous!!! We love this combination of flavors in Brazil. In fact, one of the recipes for my upcoming Brazilian cooking class is a Chocolate & Passion Fruit Mousse Torte drizzled with Passion Fruit Sauce (the bottom layer is chocolate mousse and the top layer is passion fruit mousse). Happy V-day!

  • Pessy ·

    Hi Bea, I make this with regular flour. Should i use 1 cup ap flour and omit the cornstarch or 2/3 ap flour and 1/3 cornstarch?

  • Pessy ·

    Finally! I am making this after eyeing this recipe for a few years! I am amazed at how similar the cream actually tastes to a lemon cream!