“No relationship can be perfect.” That’s what my mother told me every time I’d have a tiff with the boyfriend of the moment. She told me that again before I got married. Not exactly the most encouraging send-off, but a realistic statement nonetheless.
Of course, she was right. All I had to do was look around to see that every couple I ever knew had their moments. Every couple, that is, except Valentine’s Day + Chocolate. There’s a match made in heaven and good for the ages.
Take-away tips
I don’t know who introduced Feb. 14 to chocolate, but she (or he) should ascend to first place in the pantheon of great matchmakers. Nothing says love like chocolate. (If Hallmark or some chocolate trade association is responsible for putting those two together, please keep the disillusioning facts to yourself.)
Chocolate is everything you want your valentine to be: sweet yet surprising; a good mixer, happy to be matched with all kinds of other flavors; a pleaser; and a looker. Call me silly, but I think chocolate is gorgeous in all its states, from glossy, when it’s in bars, to velvety, when it’s melted.
I always make something chocolate on Valentine’s Day for my husband. In my early years in the kitchen — which were also my early years with Michael — I made only complicated things. I was learning how to cook and bake, and I wanted everything to be a challenge. Now, I just want everything to be delicious. And if it can be easy and delicious, that’s even better. These tartlets are easy and delicious. They’re also beautiful. I love that they’re so wonderful-looking not because I decorate them but because the chocolate is inherently sleek and handsome.
The filling for these tartlets is everything. It’s a chocolate ganache: a mixture of semi- or bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream and butter. Yes, it’s rich. Very rich. But that’s what it’s supposed to be, and you really wouldn’t want it any other way. Chilled, the filling sets to a creamy cutability. Once it’s in your mouth, it does the chocolate magic thing: It melts slowly and, because it’s so creamy, its flavor releases slowly and hangs on. Chocolate is famous for melting at body temperature, and you’ll appreciate that with these small treats.
As for the crust, have it your way. You can use store-bought pie dough or puff pastry or buy ready-made graham cracker or chocolate cookie crusts. Or you can make your own.
And if you want to decorate the tartlets, do it.
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