Recipe: Chocolate Cream Macaroon Tarts (coconut crust with chocoolate buttercream filling)

CHOCOLATE CREAM MACAROON TARTS

These simple macaroon tartlets are filled with a rich chocolate buttercream filling.

CRUST INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg whites
FILLING INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES Butter, softened
1 2/3 cups powdered sugar*
2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon light corn syrup*
2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine coconut, sugar and egg whites in large bowl; mix well.

Spray sixteen mini muffin pan cups with no-stick cooking spray. Press 1 tablespoonful coconut mixture on bottom and up sides of each cup. Place muffin pans on baking sheet.

Bake for 13 to 16 minutes or until tarts begin to brown. Cool slightly (5 minutes). Remove from pans. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat butter in small bowl at medium speed until creamy. Continue beating, gradually adding powdered sugar alternately with whipping cream and almond extract and scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup; mix well. Stir in melted chocolate.

Place filling in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe filling evenly into coconut crusts. Garnish with almonds.

*Use kosher products for Passover, available at specialty food markets.

Yield: 16 tartlets
Source: Land O Lakes