Mini chocolate and apple flans – Recipe of the week

Recipe from Cioccolato facile e veloce con il microonde
by Denis Buosi
Photography – Francesca Moscheni

 

Preparation: 30 minutes
Resting: 6 hours
Baking: 6-8 minutes
Degree of difficulty: medium

 

For 6 mini cakes

Chocolate pastry crust:
300 g butter
200 g powdered sugar
90 g eggs (approx. 2 medium eggs)
500 g flour
50 g di cocoa powder
1 vanilla bean
2 g salt

Filling:
200 g cooking apples
100 g whole milk
135 g flour
30 g cocoa powder
2 g baking powder
50 g dark chocolate morsels
120 g butter
90 g almond paste
130 g granulated sugar
150 g eggs (approx. 3 large eggs)

 

Chocolate pastry crust
Blend the butter and the powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add the following ingredients singly, mixing well after each addition: egg yolks, vanilla seeds, cocoa powder and flour. As soon as the dough comes together, gather it into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator.

Filling
Peel, core and dice the apples. Cook for 2 minutes using the microwave function (750 W)  .

Bring the milk to a boil in a microwave safe container (750 W for approx. 3 minutes). Remove from the oven, add the chocolate morsels and emulsify with an immersion blender until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture achieves a smooth, creamy consistency. Allow to cool.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
In the bowl of a standing mixer combine the almond paste, granulated sugar and butter and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, mixing well, then the dry ingredients, mixing continuously. Incorporate the chocolate mixture.

Assembly
Roll out the pastry dough to 3 mm thickness. Cut out 6 discs measuring Ø 12 cm each and use them to line 6 silicone molds, eliminating any excess dough if necessary. Spread a layer of cooked apples over the pastry dough and top with a layer of cream, filling the molds to the border. Place the molds on the Crisp® tray and cook initially for 3 minutes ( 500 W microwave function) and then for an additional 3-5 minutes using the Crisp® function.
Unmold the flans as soon as they are cool enough to handle, allow them to cool completely on wire racks before decorating.