First things first: These tartlets are dangerous.
They’re rich and sinfully chocolatey, topped with a little boozy meringue, and guaranteed to prevent you from stopping at just one bite. Don’t blame me if “just a taste” turns into an entire tart; you were warned, after all.
Other reasons why I love them (and possibly also reasons why they’re dangerous):
1.They’re pretty easy to make – no finicky pie crust to wrangle here.
2.They look impressive with (seriously) minimal decorating effort.
3.They’re spiked with rum (because apparently I really like to add booze to my holiday desserts).
4. They can easily be made gluten-free, which is just an added bonus in my book.
And might I add, every part of these tartlets is dessert-worthy on its own – that is if it were socially acceptable to eat pie crust or meringue by the spoonful, which I’m guessing it technically isn’t. There’s the crunchy, buttery gingersnap crust; the silky, luscious, rum-spiked chocolate filling; and that fluffy cloud of spiced, rum-ified meringue on top that’s toasted to golden-brown perfection just before you dig in. It’s basically three layers of pure heaven wrapped up into one dessert, I swear.
Will you eat an entire tart in one sitting? Probably. Will you feel guilty about it? Probably… but also probably not. #sorrynotsorry
Boozy Chocolate Meringue Tartlets with Gingersnap Crust {gluten-free}
Mini tarts with a creamy, boozy dark chocolate filling and crunchy gingersnap crust, topped with a fluffy cloud of rum-spiked spiced meringue.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 (4 1/2") tartlets 1x
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- 9 3/4 ounces (2 1/2 cups) gingersnap crumbs*
- 6 1/4 ounces (12 1/2 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
Boozy Chocolate Filling
- 2 5/8 ounces (6 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 8 1/2 ounces (1 cup) milk
- 4 1/8 ounces (1/2 cup) heavy cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) butter
- 2 tablespoons spiced rum
Rum-Spiked Spiced Meringue
- 2 egg whites
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar, divided
- pinch of cream of tartar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon all spice
- 2 tablespoons spiced rum
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Mix the gingersnap crumbs and melted butter together until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture evenly between four 4 1/2″ tartlet pans and press into bottom and sides, keeping thickness even throughout.
- Place tartlet pans on a baking sheet and scatter any remaining crust crumbs onto baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, until crust has puffed up slightly and no longer looks wet. Allow to cool to room temperature before prepping filling.
Boozy Chocolate Filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer.
- Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk lightly. While whisking, slowly stream the milk mixture into the egg yolks about 1/4 cup at a time, continuing until all is added and evenly combined. Add the flour mixture and whisk in until smooth.
- Return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens and just begins to come to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and whisk in chocolate and butter until smooth. Add rum and whisk until smooth.
- Divide filling evenly between tartlets and refrigerate until cool and set, at least an hour. Sprinkle any remaining baked crust crumbs over filling before topping with meringue.
Rum-Spiked Spiced Meringue
- When ready to serve tartlets, prepare the meringue.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on medium-high until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and beat in briefly to incorporate.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together remaining 3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar with the water and corn syrup. Set over medium heat and stir constantly until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and maintain, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230ºF as measured by an instant-read thermometer.
- With mixer on low speed, slow pour sugar syrup along the side of the bowl into egg whites. Once all has been added, increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat. Once meringue is fluffy, beat in cinnamon, ginger, and all spice. Continue to beat until both the bowl and the meringue are no longer warm and meringue is fairly stiff and glossy. Towards the end of this time, beat in the rum, slowly streaming in 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Dollop meringue evenly between tartlets, using an offset spatula to spread over filling and form peaks and swirls. Carefully toast with a kitchen torch. Serve immediately.
Notes
*To keep this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free gingersnaps and gluten-free all-purpose flour. (My favorite brand of GF flour is Pamela’s). The gingersnaps can be ground into crumbs with a food processor or by hand.
Chocolate filling adapted from The Spice Train
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Alexandra Robertson says
If I won I would make caramel corn with my new gadget! And lots of Christmas fudge!
Leah says
I’d make a roast.
Adrienne Gordon says
I’d make a chicken pot pie.
LauriM says
I’d make caramels! I tried it with a regular candy thermometer and it didn’t work!
jennifer hockenberry says
Most likely my tried & true Leg of Lamb.
Annette says
I’d make candy with it (pralines).
Joanna F says
I love baking bread with a thermometer, guarantees it is perfectly cooked
Cynthia C says
I would use it to check the temperature of my yeast mixture when I make my holiday breads.
Mary T. Morris says
I don’t know what I would make, probably start out with something small, like caramel popcorn, then gradually move to bigger and better dishes!
Pat says
It’s been some time since I cooked a stuffed turkey.
Laura F says
I haven’t been making much bread lately and would love to get back into it. An instant-read thermometer would be so useful in a hot oven!
Michael Bratek says
I would like to try the recipe you posted here, Boozy Chocolate Meringue Tartlets with Gingersnap Crust, it sounds delicious!
Danielle Magee says
I’d make a turkey.
Carla S says
I want to make divinity with the thermometer
Lisa V. says
I would make pumpkin pie.
cheryl larimer says
I would make bread pudding with it. I make it every holiday, but am never quite sure when it is done. The knife test is all I currently do and this would be a better way to check if it’s done.
Dawn Hynes says
I would use it for making s’mores – to make homemade marshmallows!
Deb Philippon says
I would use it to check the temperature when I make my yoghurt.
Annamarie V says
I have always wanted to make homemade caramels but never seem to have the right thermometer.
Manda says
I would make candy. Pimerest @shanky11
Jacob LaFountaine says
We’ve had some issues with undercooked turkey meat lately so that is what would be temped
Ellen Watkins says
I would make Cherry Pie!
Kathy Clark says
I’d want to try your recipe! I’m drooling just from the pictures!
Rust says
The thermapen would help a lot when attempting to make my holidays candies, especially my grandma’s date nut roll (which can be very hit or miss).
Kimberly Camille Tiu says
pies
Tracey L says
If I won I would first use it on my Christmas Turkey and after that I would use it on everything!
molli taylor says
candy. definitely candy. caramel or toffee. something thats too temperemental for my impatient self
Lindsey says
I’d love to make homemade buns, but you have to get the milk temp right!
elizabeth miller says
We love tpo make caramel pie. It is a true pie full of gooy caramel. It has to slow cook about 4 hours, however, if it half a degree off it flops which is awful after all that cooking time.
Alexander Stephens says
I’d make a chicken pot pie.
Jeff Cameron says
I would make brittle!!!
Piroska says
I’d start making bread again.
Kim D says
I’d like to make seafoam with the Thermapen!
heather kaufman says
I would make candy.
Cathleen King says
I would probably make roasted chicken.
Wanda Bee says
I would make a beef roast.
monique s says
I would make a pork loin
velder S dixon says
Make some candy
Tudorica Viorel-Gabriel says
I would make pannettone
Brigitte Bauman says
I would use it to make deserts like tarts.
Contrary says
I’ve tried making divinity fudge myriad times over the years and it never
sets up, so the first thing I would make would be divinity fudge.
S. Inose says
Would make beef wellington
Tim Dubiel says
I want to make a prime rib for new years Eve night.
Karen D says
I want to use it to check the internal temp of my cheese lasagna
beth shepherd says
I would make some candy with my kids. Thank you
Julie Waldron says
I would make a roast.
Tainan Lu says
I’d make a chicken pot pie.
April Swaim says
I would make a ham!
Brenda Haines says
I would love to make a smoked turkey breast. I am hoping to get a smoker for Christmas :)
Brittney House says
I would love to use it for a ham.
Brenda White says
I would try candy again. I can’t do it well and this would help.
VAN GODFREY says
i would like to make a fancy ham for my family.
Linda says
I would like to make chocolate truffles using the Thermapen.
JenniferB says
I would to use it when I make peanut brittle
Melissa Cunningham says
I’d make Christmas Rock Candy! My grandmother used to make it every Christmas, now I’d like to try.
Debra Jean says
These chocolate meringue desserts sound and look decadent. I would not have thought to add rum to this recipe, but it actually sounds like it will work and it’s not a lot. Thanks for providing.
Edye says
I’d make a veggie pot pie!
Karen Behrman says
I WOULD MAKE SOME HOMEMADE BREAD
Joseph B says
I would be making a “Soft & Chewy Caramel Candies” as a holiday dish to serve before/after and during our holiday gatherings [ a ThermoPop would work great]
Pratibha Verma says
I cooked a stuffed chicken.
Rajeeva Jayaratne says
lamb chops.
S Shujaht Ali says
Yummmy
SCOTT BRUNSKILL says
really cool and innovative….definitely use baking the pork for Christmas
Melissa M says
I would want to make meringues, perhaps to make pavlovas, for
Melissa M says
Oops, I meant to write ‘for the holidays, or anyday’ at the end. Need more coffee!
allyson Tice says
if i win, i will be making some bomb LASAGNA with peppers!
Jay J says
I would make the Boozy Chocolate Meringue Tartlets with Gingersnap Crust.
Nicole B. says
It would be very helpful when cooking turkey, that’s what I would make first.
jeannine glen says
I would use it on everything
Surso S. says
i have no idea what my wife would use this for to make but i’d like to win it for her
Dan McCormick says
I hope to bake holiday cakes and roast turkey using my new thermapen.
jeremy mclaughlin says
I would make a chicken pot pie.
doug gerard says
I’d cook a Christmas goose
Edmond says
I made a pot roast .
Patti says
I’d use it to make bread.
Tina W says
I want to make cashew brittle.
Daryl says
If I win and it gets here before new years I would use it for my turkey on news years day
Robyn Bellefleur says
I would make a pumpkin pie.
Laurie W. says
I think that I would make a roast turkey with my Thermopop.
Kare D says
I want to make turkey. I always have trouble getting the dark meat cooked without keeping the breast from drying out.
susan smoaks says
i would make a pot roast. my husband will love it.
Richard Hicks says
I would make hard candy using it
David Smith says
We always use a thermometer to check if our chicken, turkey or other poultry is done all of the way. Our digital thermometer is falling apart and I have to mess with it to get it to work just about every time we use it.
Laurie Emerson says
I would make a New England Boiled Dinner.
Carolyn Daley says
I would make apple and pumpkin pies.
Janet Zarpie says
I would make bread and maybe candy for a snack