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1
Preheat the oven to 425F.
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2
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes.
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3
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
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4
Cut the dough to fit the tart pan(s) and press and mold the dough to create shells.
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5
Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
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6
Remove from the refrigerator, weight with pie weights, and prebake the shell(s) (see Know-How, page 345).
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7
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
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8
Reduce the temperature to 350F.
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9
Combine the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir to mix.
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10
Combine 1 cup of the milk with the cornstarch.
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11
Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and add to the saucepan.
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12
Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook and stir just until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
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13
Remove from the heat.
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14
Separate the eggs, reserving the whites, and whisk the yolks in a bowl with the remaining 1 cup milk.
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15
Stir a small amount of the cocoa-milk mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs.
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16
Slowly whisk the yolk mixture back into the cocoa-milk mixture and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles around the edges, about 3 minutes.
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17
Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, butter, and vanilla, stirring until the chocolate and butter melt.
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18
Divide the filling evenly between the tart shell(s).
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19
Place on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
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20
Place the reserved egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a glass or metal bowl and beat with an electric mixture on medium speed until light and frothy.
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Increase the speed to high and beat to soft peaks.
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22
Slowly add the sugar, beating constantly, until the whites are shiny and hold stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.
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23
Do not beat the whites past this point or they will separate and become grainy.
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24
Divide the meringue between the tarts, spreading with a spatula or piping with a pastry bag, and covering the custard completely to prevent the meringues from shrinking when baked.
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25
Form peaks by repeatedly drawing a knife or spatula across the meringue and then in an upward motion, or by piping with a pastry bag and ending with an upward motion.
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26
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for a large tart or 5 to 7 minutes for small tarts, until the tips of the meringues are golden brown.
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27
Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
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28
Remove the sides of the tart pans by carefully lifting the tart from the center of the pan base; the ring should slide right off.
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29
Serve.
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30
Combine the flour, confectioners sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to mix.
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31
Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives in a crosscutting motion until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
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32
Work quickly so the butter remains cool and doesnt melt into the flour.
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33
Stir in the pecans.
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34
Combine the egg yolks, the 3 tablespoons ice water, and the vanilla and stir to mix.
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35
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until the dough begins to clump together and is moist enough to pat together.
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36
Do not mix any more than necessary.
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37
If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky.
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38
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 2 balls.
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39
Form the dough into 2 flat disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 3 days.
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40
Check the tart recipe for special rolling instructions.
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41
To prepare a basic tart shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes.
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42
Place on a lightly floured work surface.
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43
Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.
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44
Fold the dough in half or gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it over the tart pan.
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45
Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
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46
Trim the excess dough, leaving about 1 inch of dough draped over the pan.
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47
Roll the extra dough under itself to form a rim around the edge of the pan.
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48
Crimp the rim of dough with your fingers or press with the tines of a fork.
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49
Prick the bottom of the crust two or three times with a fork to create small holes.
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50
Cover the crust with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, before proceeding with a recipe or partially or fully prebaking the crust (see Know-how, page 345).
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51
Follow the recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts with Pecan Crusts (page 347), but with the following changes: Spread store-bought dulce de leche in the prebaked tart shells in place of (or in addition to) the chocolate filling.
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52
Just before baking, sprinkle a pinch of your best sea salt on top of the meringues and continue with the original recipe for baking the meringues.
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53
If you know a few basic rules, working with meringue is a breeze.
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54
Eggs separate most readily when they are still cold, but for best results you should wait until the whites come to room temperature before beating them.
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55
Always use a glass or metal bowl for whipping the eggs; plastic bowls tend to be greasier, and this residual grease can weigh the whites down and prevent them from whipping to stiff peaks.
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56
When whipping egg whites, start on medium speed and beat until light and frothy; then increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form before slowly adding the sugar and continuing to beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
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57
You can test the relative stiffness of the peaks by quickly dipping the beaters or a spatula into the whites.
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58
Soft peaks will curl over and begin to collapse when the beaters are lifted; stiff peaks are glossier and will stick straight up.
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59
Do not beat meringue past the stiff-peaks stage or it will separate and become grainy.
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60
Cream of tartar is often added because its high acid content helps stabilize meringue; the same effect can be achieved by adding a teaspoon or so of equally acidic lemon juice.
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61
Wait to add sugar and any other flavoring agents until after youve beaten the egg whites to soft peaks; adding the sugar too soon will prevent expansion.
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62
Add the sugar slowly and beat constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
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63
When topping a pie with meringue, mound the meringue in the center of the pie and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it to the edges and make peaks.
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64
You can also use a pastry bag and tip to pipe the meringue and form peaks.
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65
Be sure the meringue touches the edges of the crust all the way around to prevent shrinking.
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66
If topping a baked pie with meringue, place the meringue on the filling while it is still warm.
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67
The heat from the pie will begin to cook the bottom of the meringue and prevent a layer of weeping liquid from forming between the filling and meringue.
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68
Always bake meringue in a preheated 350F oven; temperatures below 325F are too cool, and temperatures above 350F are too hot.
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69
Meringue topping on a 9-inch pie typically takes 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350F oven; smaller tarts will take less time, 5 to 7 minutes.
