1. Make the crust.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Make sure it’s preheated so you don’t burn the crust!

Press the shortbread dough into a tart pan, pushing it firmly into the crevices so that the sides are even all over. Place on a sheet tray to bake. The sheet tray makes taking the tart in and out of the oven without damaging the shell much easier.

Bake for about 15 minutes at 350F. Allow the tart shell to cool in its tin.

2. Make the chocolate ganache.

While the tart shell cools, break 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate into smaller chunks in a microwave safe bowl. Add your 3 tbsp of heavy whipping cream. Heat in 20 second bursts (stirring between) until the chocolate is just melted. Allow to cool to about body temperature. 

3. Make the vanilla cream.

Mix the 1/2 tsp of gelatin powder with 1 tbsp of cool water in a small dish. Heat the water in 10 second increments until the gelatin is completely dissolved, stirring between each increment (20-30 seconds total max!). Let the mixture cool a bit so that it is no longer warm (but not so cool that it congeals).

Whisk together (by hand or using a handheld/stand mixer):

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

until you get soft peaks. Then, while whisking, slowly pour in the cooled gelatin mixture. Whisk until you get stiff peaks.

4. Assemble Tart.

Gently spread the chocolate ganache (should be about body temperature) along the base of the tart shell.

Next, layer on the chestnut cream. If you use the packets recommended above, this step is super simple. In the picture below, I made my own chestnut cream and piped it, but the principle is the same.

If you use the packets (and are making tartlets), it may look more like this:

Next, fill a piping bag with the vanilla cream, and decorate the tart however pleases you. I used a simple round nozzle on both the big tart and the tartlets.

Big tart above, tartlet below.

Top with shaved chocolate or cocoa powder and/or a couple roasted chestnuts.

5. Enjoy!