These Chocolate Orange Tartlets are little buttery shells packed with silky curd and topped with a glossy dark ganache, and they taste like the fancy bakery case at the good patisserie downtown, except you made them at your own counter in your slippers. I first put these together for a holiday tea years ago, half expecting them to be too fussy for a weeknight kind of baker, but they came together easier than I thought, and now they're the tart I reach for anytime I want something that looks special without much drama.
If you've ever loved the crumbly comfort of a Peach Cheesecake or the citrusy lift in a Raspberry Cheesecake, you'll feel right at home here.
Why You'll Love These Chocolate Orange Tartlets
- Bakery-style results with a shortbread-like crust you roll and cut yourself
- The orange curd is bright, tangy, and just sweet enough
- A dark chocolate ganache adds richness without being heavy
- Perfectly portioned for parties, holidays, or afternoon tea
- Make-ahead friendly, since most of the work happens the day before serving
- If you love baking something you can prep in stages, check out my Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake for that same make-ahead comfort
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Chocolate Orange Tartlets
- Chocolate Orange Tartlets Ingredients
- How to Make Chocolate Orange Tartlets
- Substitutions
- Equipment For Chocolate Orange Tartlets
- Storage Tips For Chocolate Orange Tartlets
- Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips For Chocolate Orange Tartlets
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Chocolate Orange Tartlets
Chocolate Orange Tartlets Ingredients
Here's everything you need for all three layers. Each ingredient earns its spot.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
For the Tartlet Shells
- Plain/AP Flour : This is the structure of your shells. All-purpose flour gives them that firm, crisp bite that holds up under the curd and ganache without crumbling.
- Icing Sugar / Powdered Sugar : Finer than granulated sugar, it dissolves smoothly into the dough and creates that delicate, slightly sandy pastry texture you want in a shortcrust shell.
- Table Salt : A small amount does a lot. It sharpens all the other flavors and keeps the shell from tasting flat.
- Unsalted Butter, very cold : Cold butter is non-negotiable here. It creates little pockets of flakiness as it melts in the oven, giving you a tender, crumbly crust rather than a tough one.
- Egg : Binds the dough together and gives the shells a little richness. Lightly whisking it first helps it incorporate more evenly.
For the Orange Curd Filling
- Egg Yolks : The yolks are what make the curd thick, rich, and beautifully golden. They cook gently into a velvety base.
- Caster Sugar / Fine Granulated Sugar : Dissolves quickly into the curd as it heats, sweetening without any graininess.
- Orange Juice : Freshly squeezed is the way to go here. It gives the curd that real, bright citrus flavor that bottled juice just can't match.
- Zest of Orange: The zest carries the essential oils that make the orange flavor really pop. Don't skip it.
- Cornstarch : This is your thickener. It helps the curd set to a sliceable, pipeable consistency without overcooking the eggs.
- Unsalted Butter : Added gradually at the end, the butter makes the curd silky smooth and gives it that glossy finish.
For the Chocolate Ganache
- Dark Cooking Chocolate : Use good-quality dark chocolate here. It melts cleanly, sets with a slight sheen, and balances the sweetness of the curd beautifully.
- Heavy / Thickened Cream : Warmed and poured over the chocolate, it emulsifies into a smooth, pourable ganache.
How to Make Chocolate Orange Tartlets
This Chocolate Orange Tartlets has three components. Take them one at a time and it all comes together.
Part 1: The Tartlet Shells
Make the dough: In a food processor, blend the flour, icing sugar, and salt together. Add the cold butter, cut into small cubes, and pulse until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add the lightly whisked egg and mix until the dough just comes together. Don't overwork it.
Roll and chill: Shape the dough into a ball and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Roll it out to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Slide it onto a tray and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. Chilling firms the dough and makes it much easier to cut and handle.
Cut and line: Remove the baking paper and cut rounds with a round or fluted cutter sized to fit your muffin pan. Press each round gently into the pan, working out any air bubbles. Prick the bottoms with a fork. Return the pan to the fridge for another hour (or up to 24 hours again).
Blind bake: Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F). While it heats, slide the pan into the freezer. When the oven is ready, line each shell with a small piece of baking paper and fill with baking weights, ceramic beads, rice, or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and paper, then bake another 15 minutes until the shells look golden and completely dry. Let them cool fully before filling.
Part 2: The Orange Curd
Combine and heat: Add the orange juice, orange zest, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch to a saucepan. Whisk them together, then set the pan over very low heat. Stir continuously while the mixture warms. It'll take about 3 to 5 minutes for the sugar to dissolve and the curd to start thickening.
Add the butter: Drop in the butter a little at a time, letting each piece melt completely before adding the next. Keep stirring over low heat until the curd thickens to a creamy, pudding-like consistency.
Strain and fill: Pour the curd through a fine mesh sieve to catch any bits of cooked egg or zest. Spoon or pour the warm curd into your cooled tartlet shells, filling each one nearly to the top. Tap each tartlet gently on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Chill to set: Refrigerate the filled Chocolate Orange Tartlets for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you're making them ahead. The curd will firm up beautifully.
Part 3: The Chocolate Ganache
Prep the chocolate: Finely chop the dark chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl.
Make the ganache: Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer, then pour half of it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring. Then stir gently from the center outward, working in slow circles until the chocolate is melted and the mixture looks smooth. Add the remaining hot cream (reheat it briefly if it's cooled down) and keep stirring until the ganache is completely glossy.
Top the tartlets: Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and pipe it over the chilled orange curd in each tartlet. Gently tap each one so the ganache spreads into an even layer. You can also just spoon and drizzle it over for a more relaxed look.
Final chill and finish: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When you're ready to serve, decorate with dehydrated orange slices, fresh orange zest, shaved chocolate, or small chocolate curls. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Substitutions
Butter in the pastry: If you only have salted butter, just skip the pinch of salt in the shell recipe.
Caster sugar: Regular granulated sugar works fine in the curd, it just takes a minute or two longer to dissolve fully.
Dark chocolate: Milk chocolate can be used for a sweeter, milder ganache, though the contrast with the citrus curd is less pronounced.
Orange juice: Blood orange juice makes a gorgeous, slightly more complex curd with a beautiful color.
Cornstarch: Arrowroot powder can substitute at the same ratio if you need a corn-free option.
Equipment For Chocolate Orange Tartlets
- Food processor (optional but helpful)
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
- Baking paper / parchment paper
- Round or fluted cookie cutter
- Muffin pan
- Fork
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Fine mesh sieve
- Heat-proof mixing bowl
- Small pot
- Stiff spatula
- Piping bag
- Small offset spatula (optional)
- Baking weights (ceramic beads, rice, or dried beans)
Storage Tips For Chocolate Orange Tartlets
Refrigerator: Store finished Chocolate Orange Tartlets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The shells soften slightly over time, so day 1 or 2 is peak crunch.
Make-ahead option: The shells and curd can both be made a day ahead and stored separately. Fill and top with ganache the day you plan to serve.
Freezer: Unfilled, baked shells freeze well for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before filling.
Serving Suggestions
With afternoon tea: Arrange them on a tiered stand alongside a pot of Earl Grey. The citrus-chocolate combination pairs beautifully with bergamot.
As a holiday dessert: Set them out on a platter decorated with orange slices and fresh herbs. They photograph beautifully and disappear fast.
With whipped cream: A small dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on each one softens the richness and adds a little drama to the presentation.
After dinner: Serve two or three per person alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The contrast of cold ice cream and rich ganache is pretty unbeatable.
And if you love making individual desserts for guests, my Samoa Cookie Cake and Cookies and Cream Cookies are both crowd-pleasers with that same "everyone takes one and then sneaks back for another" energy.
Expert Tips For Chocolate Orange Tartlets
Cold butter, always. The cold butter is what gives the pastry its crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture. If your kitchen is warm, pop the cut butter back into the freezer for 10 minutes before using.
Don't skip the double chill. Chilling the dough twice, once after rolling and once after pressing into the pan, prevents shrinkage during baking and keeps the edges sharp.
Stir the curd the whole time. Even a brief pause on medium heat can scramble the yolks. Low and slow with constant stirring is the way.
Strain your curd. Even if it looks smooth, straining through a sieve catches any tiny bits that would otherwise show up in the texture.
FAQ
What is the best orange for Chocolate Orange Tartlets?
Navel oranges are the most reliable choice because they're sweet, juicy, and seedless. Valencia oranges work well too. Blood oranges are a beautiful option if you want a more complex, slightly berry-like flavor and a gorgeous deep color in your curd.
What are the ingredients in a chocolate orange?
A classic chocolate orange candy is made from milk chocolate flavored with orange oil, shaped into segments. These Chocolate Orange Tartlets recreate that combination from scratch using real orange juice, orange zest, and dark chocolate ganache, which gives you a much more vivid, layered flavor.
Can I melt Terry's Chocolate Orange?
You can! Terry's Chocolate Orange melts well and can technically be used as the ganache base here. Keep in mind it's milk chocolate with added orange flavoring, so the ganache will be sweeter and the chocolate flavor softer than dark chocolate would give you. It's a fun swap if you have one on hand.
Is chocolate orange a British thing?
Pretty much, yes. Terry's Chocolate Orange Tartlets has been a British staple since the 1930s and it's especially tied to Christmas traditions in the UK. That said, the flavor combination of citrus and dark chocolate shows up in French patisserie and Italian desserts too, so it's beloved well beyond Britain.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chocolate Orange Tartlets
Chocolate Orange Tartlets
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Pour in the beaten egg and pulse just until the dough begins to hold together without overworking it.
- Press the dough into a flat disc between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to about 3 mm thick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.
- Cut circles of pastry slightly larger than the muffin cups and gently press each round into the pan.
- Prick each shell with a fork, refrigerate for another hour, and meanwhile preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Line every shell with parchment and baking weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights, then continue baking for another 15 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool completely.
- Place the orange juice, orange zest, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch into a saucepan. Whisk well and cook gently over low heat while stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Gradually whisk in the butter, allowing each addition to melt before adding more. Continue stirring until the curd becomes smooth and thick, then strain through a fine sieve.
- Divide the warm orange curd among the cooled tartlet shells and lightly tap the pan to remove trapped air. Refrigerate until fully set, about 2 hours.
- Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until just simmering and pour half over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes before stirring gently from the center outward.
- Add the remaining hot cream and stir until the ganache is glossy and completely smooth.
- Pipe or spread the ganache over each chilled tartlet, smoothing the tops as needed.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm the chocolate, then garnish with orange zest, dried orange slices, or chocolate curls before serving.
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