Chocolate Tarts (1829) ★★★★

8:30 PM 1820s , 19th century , 4 stars , dessert , georgian , Modern Domestic Cookery and Useful Receipt Book , pastry , united states 7 Comments

I felt like the 1820s were being left out, so here's a recipe to fill in that time gap!

Original Recipe:

The Verdict:

Different, but not bad!
The flavour is a bit different from what we normally pair with chocolate today. Lemon and cinnamon is not what my tongue prefers, but I got used to it as I tasted and after finishing one tart, I think I could definitely eat another.
I had an issue with the chocolate filling not setting thickly, as I think it probably should have. That was probably because I didn't cook it enough and/or it needed more eggs. I like to round way down with eggs in historical recipes because I really hate eggy taste.
I used these pre-made puff pastry shells because I was feeling lazy (and Mr. Man picked those up instead of the tart shells haha), but I think puff paste tart shells would have worked way better.
Oh! I should add that I didn't add the diced lemon peel...I forgot about that and only had one lemon. I'm also not sure if the recipe meant fresh lemon peel (since its already in the recipe) or candied lemon peel. I imagine this can't have made much different flavour-wise, as there was already lemon in the filling.
Overall, this is a lovely recipe and although it may be a bit of an acquired taste, its good!

Edit: After sitting out for a while they did get firmer, and after being in the fridge the tarts became quite firm.

Modernized Recipe:

(Adapted from Modern Domestic Cookery, and Useful Receipt Book)

1/4 pound (4 ounces) CHOCOLATE, chopped
1/2 teaspoon CINNAMON
Zest of 1 LEMON
3 tablespoons SUGAR
2 teaspoons FLOUR
3+ EGGS, separated (see above about number of eggs)
1 tablespoon MILK
LEMON PEEL, diced fine
PUFF PASTRY SHELLS

1. In a saucepan whisk together the flour, egg yolks, and milk. To this add the chocolate, cinnamon, lemon zest, and sugar. Whisk together well and cook over medium heat until thick.
2. Add finely diced lemon peel to the cooked filling and let it stand until cold.
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Fill puff pastry shells with chocolate filling and cover with the beaten egg whites. Sift some sugar over the top. Bake for five minutes at 350F, then broil until egg whites are golden on top.