Elegant Tea Treats Made Easy

There’s simply nothing I like more than an easy recipe that’s impressive. These amazingly simple Chocolate Cream Macaroon Tarts always get rave reviews, and no one ever believes me when I tell them how easy they are.

The coconut-macaroon base is made by mixing only three ingredients! The hardest part here is separating the eggs – be sure to save the yolks for a custard or to add to scrambled eggs.

Mix the egg whites with the sugar and coconut, making sure to combine the ingredients thoroughly.

Next, simply put a tablespoon of the mixture into sixteen spots in the mini-muffin tins. I used my fingers and a spoon to push the macaroon mixture up the sides, making little tartlet shells. Note that I decided to use mini-muffin papers to save time by not needing to grease my pans, but having made this recipe several times before I don’t recommend this. The macaroons have a nice golden color on the outside when baked directly in the pan, along with a nice crispy crunch that I missed by using the papers. (On the other hand, my cleanup was easy!)

While the macaroons are baking at 350˚F. for 13-16 minutes, toast the almond slivers and melt the chocolate for the almond chocolate buttercream. I used a metal 1-cup measure to melt my chocolate on the stove on Low. For the almonds I used a small skillet and toasted a single layer on Low heat.

As the chocolate is melting, stir every couple minutes. The chocolate melted in about 5 minutes.

The almonds took a little longer to toast – about 8 minutes. Keep the heat fairly low and stir gently about every 45 seconds until they become fragrant. When you start to smell toasted nuts and you see a few of the slivers turning brown, remove them from the burner. They can go from toasted to burnt very quickly, so watch them carefully.

About now the macaroon tarts should be lightly browned. Pull them out of the oven and let them cool about 5 minutes. Pop them out of the pan to cool completely. Run a knife around the upper edge and use the knife to take them out.

For the frosting, the recipe says to beat the butter before adding the other ingredients. I got a little ahead of myself and just put everything into the mixture bowl except the chocolate and mixed it all up. It worked fine. (Phew!)

Add the chocolate and beat the frosting until it’s light and fluffy about 3 more minutes at medium speed. I added a couple of teaspoons more cream to make sure my frosting would pipe easily.

I have a cake decorator tool I purchased from the craft store, so I filled that with the frosting using a spatula. You can also use a decorating bag with a star tip.

To pipe the stars on top, follow the directions that come with your decorator tool. Practice on a piece of waxed paper before you decorate the tarts, if this is a new technique for you.

The toasted almonds add a nice touch and a little crunch!

Serve the tarts for tea, or take them anywhere you want to make a delicious impression.  One of the best things about this recipe is that the tarts last up to a week kept in a covered container in the refrigerator, so you can easily make them a day or three ahead. Really, they taste just as amazing!

It is very hard to eat just one, however, so they don’t always last for a week. Therefore, I recommend a double batch! If you try these Chocolate Cream Macaroon Tarts, I’d love to hear what you think of the recipe and if you found them impressive.

Check back in a few days when Mallory makes a cake perfect for a special celebration.

Liz is paid to write for the Land O'Lakes Recipe Buzz® Blog.