Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts

Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts

Pastry dough:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 beaten eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coursely ground
2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the ingredients for the pastry dough until well mixed. Divide dough into balls; press into the bottoms and up the sides of 48 mini-muffin cups. Set aside.

Melt the butter for the filling; whisk in cocoa. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Using a teaspoon, fill the pastry cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until filling is puffed and pastry is lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans to cooling racks.

Option: Use toasted coarsely ground almonds in place of hazelnuts and Amaretto in place of Frangelico to make chocolate almond tarts.

Yield:
"48 "