Chocolate and Banana Tart with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Banana and chocolate is simply the best combination in desserts to my taste. There’s nothing I love more than dipping banana slices in warm melted chocolate – it’s the easiest dessert you can make, and everyone loves it.

This chocolate and banana tart is made of a short crust pastry, dark chocolate cream, caramelized bananas and cinnamon whipped cream. It’s so delicious and even though it take some time to make – it’s worth every single minute of preparation.

Photo: Natalie Levin

Chocolate and Banana Tart with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

24 cm round tart pan or 10-12 mini 7c m tartelettes

For short crust pastry:
150 grams all-purpose flour
100 grams cold butter, cut into cubes
40 grams icing sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1-2 tbsp. cold milk (as needed)

Dark chocolate cream:
125 grams dark chocolate, 60% cocoa solids
125 ml. heavy cream
Pinch of salt

Caramelized bananas:
6-7 large ripe bananas
50 grams sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
juice of 1/2 lemon
20 grams butter

For cinnamon cream:
375 ml. heavy cream
6 grams ground cinnamon
25 grams icing sugar
1 tsp. cream stabilizer or instant vanilla pudding mix

Decoration:
1 banana, cut into 1/2 cm thick slices
3-4 tbsp. sugar
some cookie crumble

Preparation:

Crust:

In a food processor with a steel blade put flour, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and process until mixture is crumbly.
Add egg yolk and continue to process just until large clumps of dough form. If the dough is not setting, gradually add a little milk.
Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface and form a disc-shape with your hands.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
Roll out the dough on a floured work surface about 3-4 mm thick and cut out circles about 8-9 cm in diameter. Line the tartelette molds. It is important to create a right angle between the sides and the base of the crust, which will ensure the edges remain high when baking.
Using a fork create holes in the crust of each tartelette. Freeze the tartelette crusts for about 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 170c degrees.
Blind baking: put a sheet of heat-resistant plastic wrap or baking paper over each tartelette and fill with dry beans or special weights for baking.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes.
Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 8-10 minutes or until it is golden brown.
Cool completely at room temperature.

Dark chocolate filling:

chop the chocolate and put in a bowl.
Add heavy cream and salt and solvents together in the microwave or over double-boiler, until everything is melted and mixture is smooth.
Fill the tartelettes with a thin layer of chocolate truffle. Cool for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator to set.

Caramelized bananas:

Peel the bananas and cut into 1/2 cm thick slices.
In a large skillet put sugar and form caramel.
When the caramel is amber in color add bananas, vanilla, lemon and butter.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook the bananas in the caramel for 3-4 minutes or until the slices are slightly softened.
Cool completely.
Put about 1-2 tbsp. caramelized bananas on top of chocolate ganache.

Cinnamon cream:

In a bowl of a mixer with a whipping-attachment put cream, cinnamon, powdered sugar and stabilizer and whip on high speed until you get a very stable cream.
Transfer the cream into a piping bag with serrated piping tip and drizzle small “flowers” on top of each tartelette.

Decoration:

Cut the banana into 1/2 cm thick slices and put on a heat resistant surface or plate.
Sprinkle a little sugar and burn using a blowtorch until sugar caramelizes.
Cool completely before you placing on tarteletts.
Sprinkle with crumble and serve.