Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse Tartlets

Since the day I have started writing this food journal, I am getting more and more attracted to the idea of pausing to snap  photos of the food before my mates and I get a chance to eat it. Collecting props, making small Do-It-Yourself apparatus at home etc. are the things which have taken over my mind partially, if not completely. Those wonderful food blogs and other resources all over the internet inspire me a lot and give me a reason to wander through a sea of endless opportunities; Opportunities to narrate a unique story, Opportunities to express a personal reaction to a recipe visually, and last but not the least, opportunities to get rewarded of all the fun and happiness.

This time I stumbled upon this luscious and creamy chocolate mascarpone mousse filled in a rustic almond pastry. My version of these mini mousse tarts has the goodness of both the recipes which I adapted through GourmandeInTheKitchen and PassionateAboutBaking. Thank you Sylvie and Deeba for writing such wonderful and inspiring blogs. Instead of making a quark cheese mousse or a chocolate ganache, I chose to make a mascarpone mousse filling {mascarpone, which I made the other day}. The sweet and luscious mascarpone gives a body to this chocolate mousse.

Ingredients

For the crust:
125 gm whole almond {with skin on}
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter or ghee
60 gm digestive biscuits

For the Filling:

100 gm dark chocolate
100 gm mascarpone
1 tbsp honey
100 ml low fat cream
cocoa powder for sifting

Instructions

1. For the crust, grease 4/5 small tart molds and keep aside.
2. In food processor, pulse together the digestive biscuits and almonds, till they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add salt and baking soda and pulse again briefly.
4. Add honey and butter/ghee to make a dough.
5. Divide the mixture among the tart molds. Press firmly against the walls and base of molds to make an even layer of pastry.
6. Chill the molds in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven at 180/350 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit and bake the pastries for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden. Keep aside to let them cool completely.
8. For the mousse filling, Melt the chocolate in microwave or double boiler and let it cool.
9. Beat the mascarpone and honey, till it gets creamy.
10. Mix in the melted chocolate, after it gets cooled completely.
11. In a separate bowl, beat the cream lightly and then fold into mascarpone and chocolate mix.
12. Fill the tartlet shells with the mousse filling. Dust over some cocoa powder, garnish with slivered almonds and chill in refrigerator.