Mini Chocolate Macaroon Tarts #giveaway #Valentine'sDay #recipe by Kim Davis

 

KIM DAVIS: With Valentine's Day right around the corner (or Galentine's or any celebration) I can't help but want chocolate! Sometimes it's nice to have a little "extra" with a chocolate treat as well like the shells for these mini Chocolate Macaroon Tarts. They're sweet and tasty coconut macaroons, complementing the dark chocolate ganache filling. It's almost like having cookies and candy all in one bite. They're also easy-peasy to make... just a little sticky while forming them in the well of a mini muffin tin, but the reward of biting into the toasted coconut shell and creamy rich chocolate is well worth it. Plus it only takes five ingredients -- all staples -- to make these tempting treats. I also liked that I could sit them out on a platter and let everyone help themselves without fussing with knives, serving utensils, plates, forks, and stacks of napkins. Win-win for everyone. And did I mention these are naturally gluten-free? (If necessary, make sure your chocolate is labeled gluten-free.) 

I've made these twice already, and used two different sized mini muffin tins. One of the tins had wide and shallow cups while the other was deeper and narrow. For individual bites, I preferred the more narrow cups. I also have 6-inch mini tartlet pans that I'll try next time when it's just a few people to serve dessert to. 

Since it's just a few days leading up to Valentine's Day, I'm giving away a copy of Chocolate Can Be Deadly, which features the recipe for Mini Chocolate Macaroon Tarts, along with many more chocolate recipes. Scroll down to enter. Contest is open to everyone, although print is limited to US residents. 

Mini Chocolate Macaroon Tarts

 Makes approximately 20 mini tarts, depending on the size of your pan
(Gluten-free) 

Ingredients

Macaroon Crust:
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Chocolate Filling:
6 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Heavily spritz 20 mini muffin tin cups with nonstick baking spray.

Macaroon Crust:

In a large bowl, mix together the flaked coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and sea salt until well blended. Mixture will be thick.

Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin tin cups, about 1 tablespoon each. Lightly grease your hands and press mixture into the bottom and sides of each liner to form the crust. A wine cork also works well to tamp the mixture down.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tart crusts are golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through the baking period. Remove muffin tin from oven and, using the back of a small teaspoon or a wine cork, lightly press down the centers of the tart crusts to create a well. Immediately remove the crusts to a wire rack. Don’t allow the crusts to cool in the pan. Cool completely before filling with chocolate filling.

Chocolate Filling:

Heat the cream in either the microwave (1-1/2 to 2 minutes on high, stirring well after each 30 second increment) or use a heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat, just until small bubbles begin to form at the edges. Do not allow cream to boil.

Add chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Do not stir. Allow the mixture to sit, undisturbed for 5 minutes. 

Using a whisk, stir the chocolate mixture until completely smooth.

Scoop the chocolate filling into a piping bag. Snip 1/4 inch off the end of the piping bag, and then pipe the chocolate into the completely cooled macaroon crusts, filling 3/4 full.

Place the mini tarts in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least an hour, until the filling has set.

Remove from the refrigerator twenty minutes before serving.

Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the recipe!💕

Books available at most online retailers

 

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Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder

 

About the Author:

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. For ten years she’s written the Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder culinary cozy mystery blog, in which she features reviews of cozy mysteries along with a recipe from the book, and photos of the prepared dish. And now she’s a member of Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen! Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

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To celebrate Valentine's / Galentine's Day, I'm giving away a copy of 
Chocolate Can Be Deadly.

Comment below and include your email (yourname at yourserver dot com) for a chance to win Chocolate Can Be Deadly. (Contest ends 11:59pm on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Open to everyone although print is limited to US residents only.)

Readers, do you have a collection of specialty baking pans?