Chocolate Heartlettes with Citrus Mousse Filling

Today I came home from Plate It Up! with a Nordicware Heartlette Desert Pan.

I figured Valentines Day is approaching, and I wanted to be able to make something special for my wife on that day (Valentines Day also happens to be our wedding anniversary). It would give me a chance to once again make a recipe that local chef Rodney Jankowski shared with me a year ago. Of course like any certified tool junkie, when you buy a new tool you just gotta try it out. These are reasonably low-cal (approximately 63 calories each.)

Chocolate Heartlettes

1-1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons water

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces, and then use a couple of forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture. (The last time I made this I promised myself I would buy a pastry blender before making it again, but here you can see I am still using a fork). Keep mixing until the mixture looks like course meal.

Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until moistened and the mixture almost cleans the sides of the bowl. Six tablespoons has always been just right for me.

Gather the mixture into a ball and flatten slightly. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and press into one of the pan’s heartlettes. Chill 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and bake for 6 – 8 minutes. Cool and remove from pan.

Citrus Mousse

12 oz Cool Whip

7 oz sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup line juice

In a large bowl, beat together Cool Whip and condensed milk. Gradually beat in lemon and lime juice until evenly blended.

Fill each heartlette with mousse.