Espresso Brown Butter Crust, Ghirardelli peppermint bark ganache, and a vanilla bean whipped cream, this Peppermint Mocha Tart is perfect for the holidays.

Side view of a peppermint mocha tart topped with whipped cream, chocolate ganache, and ghirardelli peppermint bark squares.

What is chocolate ganache made out of?

The most basic chocolate ganache is made from just chocolate and milk or heavy cream. It is important to use high quality baking chocolate when making ganache and not chocolate chips because they won’t melt as smoothly. For this recipe I used Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark squares, heavy cream, and a little butter to keep the filling soft and creamy.

What is the difference between a torte and a tart?

A tart is usually made from a filling poured into a firm but crumbly crust whereas a torte is usually a shorter often dense cake.

Should you grease a tart shell?

No! Don’t grease your tart shell, the butter in the dough itself is already enough. To easily remove it, place the tart, without the filling, in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. After it has frozen you will notice the tart shell pull away from the pan and it will be easy to remove!

Tart Pan alternatives?

Ideally for this recipe, you want to use a removable base tart pan. A standard tart pan is about 9″ or 10″ and this will give you the best looking tart. You could also use a parchment lined springform pan – the edges will just be a bit more informal.

Can this be made in advance?

Yes! I actually recommend making this tart at least the day before you plan to serve it. But it will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Additional Recipes to try:

Tips for making a Chocolate Tart

Make sure to really brown the butter. It can be hard to tell with this recipe when the butter is done because we are adding espresso. That being said, cook the butter until it starts to quiet down, then add the espresso, and continue to stir over medium low heat for a minute or two. The butter should be foaming and fragrant but it shouldn’t smell burnt.
Really any round metal pan will work for this tart but I wouldn’t recommend a ceramic or glass dish as it won’t bake the same way and will trap too much moisture. My preference is always to use a removable base tart shell.
To easily remove the tart from the pan, allow it first to cool to room temperature. Then place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, and fully remove the tart, it should pop right out.
To ensure a smooth filling, allow the hot heavy cream to sit with the chocolate for a minute and a half with something covering the bowl before whisking.
Allow the ganache to get a little thick, kind of like a runny caramel or natural peanut butter texture before pouring it into the tart shell. If it is too hot it can mess with the tart shell and as it cools. Also, sometimes the ganache can separate into two different layers if it isn’t stirred while cooling.
You can decorate this tart anyway that you want but the whipped cream and chocolate ganache really give it the feeling of drinking a peppermint mocha!

Ingredients

Butter: Unsalted butter is used for the crust and the filling but salted will work too.
Espresso: In this recipe I just used finely ground espresso because the flavor brews while the butter cooks but instant espresso would work as well. I don’t recommend using brewed coffee as it will add too much moisture to the tart shell.
Fine Sea Salt: I use fine sea salt when baking. You really want the salt in this recipe to enhance all of the flavors.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is essential for the overall flavor of the crust.
Granulated White Sugar: White sugar is used in the crust.
All Purpose Flour: I used standard all purpose flour for the crust but whole wheat flour would work as well.
Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark SQUARES: I absolutely love using these peppermint bark squares as the chocolate or the chocolate ganache because they melt beautifully and the white chocolate, dark chocolate and peppermint give the filling so much flavor.
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is used to melt the chocolate and give the ganache its silky smooth texture.

Side view of a slice of a peppermint mocha tart with a bite taken out on a white plate.

How to make a Peppermint Mocha Tart

Make the crust

Add the butter into a medium pan. Place over medium low heat (medium if using electric and your stove isn’t very hot).
Cook until bubbling, then use a rubber spatula to stir it gently until brown bits form. Once it starts to quiet down, add in one tablespoon of ground espresso. Keep scraping and stirring the pan for another minute or two. It should be foaming and fragrant.
Turn the heat off and pour it into a heat safe mixing bowl. Allow it to cool until it has reached a spreadable consistency.
Preheat the oven to 350º F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt into the bowl with the butter and stir to combine.
Pour in the all purpose flour and use a fork to cut the butter into the flour. Mix until just combined. If the mixture is too warm and squishy, simply put it in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the butter to firm up.
Pour the crust into the tart pan. Press the crust into the sides of the pan and across the bottom with your fingers. Use your thumb or your pointer finger to really press it into the bottom corner so that you don’t get a super thick pastry corner.
Place the tart in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Once chilled, place the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake the tart in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
Take the pan out of the oven and let the tart shell cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, place the tart pan with the crust into the freezer and start on the ganache.

The process of mixing and baking the espresso brown butter tart shell.

Peppermint bark ganache filling

In a medium heat safe mixing bowl add in 374 grams of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark squares. If you have the large bags, this will be one whole bag plus 12 from another bag.
Pour the heavy cream into a microwave safe measuring cup or a sauce pot. Heat until just about to bubble. In the microwave, do this in 30 second increments, and stir in between. Be careful not to be holding the cup when you go to stir because sometimes sticking the spoon in can cause it to bubble over. If using a pot on the stove do this over medium low heat, stirring regularly so it doesn’t burn.
Once hot, pour the cream over the chocolate squares and cover with a lid or a baking tray. Leave to sit for a minute and a half or two minutes.
Remove the lid and use a whisk to stir it until all of the chocolate has melted in.
Cut the butter into 4 chunks and add them in. Whisk again until smooth and combined.
Leave the ganache to cool and thicken, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to help it cool evenly. We want it to cool so it is kind of like a runny caramel or peanut butter, almost holding lines when stirred but not thick.
To speed up cooling you can always place the bowl in an ice bath or do what I do and set it on top of an ice pack.
Remove the tart shell from the freezer and carefully remove it from the pan. First pop it out of the sides of the pan and then remove the base.
Place the tart shell on a piece of parchment on a plate or tray that will fit in your fridge.
Once cooled, pour the ganache into the tart shell and smooth out the surface.
Place the tart in the fridge, uncovered to set up overnight.

Step by step process of melting and mixing the peppermint bark ganache tart filling.

Final Steps

You can decorate this tart however you want but I like to top it with a vanilla bean whipped cream, a drizzle of dark chocolate ganache, and whole peppermint bark squares.
For the whipped cream, add the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or a whisk and whip until stiff peaks form. Just be careful not to over whip it and make it into butter, once it holds its shape, stop whipping.
For the dark chocolate ganache, make it the same way we made the filling but just using dark chocolate and heavy cream. Add chopped dark chocolate into a bowl and pour hot heavy cream on top, whisk to combine.
Dollop the whipped cream on top of the set tart and then drizzle or swirl in the dark chocolate ganache. Decorate each slice with a whole peppermint bark square before serving.
Store extras of the tart in the fridge uncovered for 3-4 days.

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