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Check out my YouTube Channel! Have you ever been sucked into the bakery section of a grocery store?  When you go into a good one, it’s like being stuck in a black hole of desserts that you don’t want to escape from without at least a souvenir from your traumatic experience.  The mini tarts are included in some of these stores, and it’s the variety of colors that draw you in.  I tend to linger a little longer than I should, and always feel like it’s a trick question when someone behind the counter asks, “Can I help you?”  Ugh.  There is no help for me at this point, and I hate that you’re asking.  I’ll take a dozen, please. One day, I stumbled across some Boston Crème Mini Tarts.  A mini tart shell filled with vanilla pastry crème, topped with chocolate ganache and whipped topping.  The black hole suddenly got deeper and more violent.  I felt like I was swimming in a sea of vanilla pastry crème and chocolate ganache, eating my way out of it.  Don’t even bother throwing me a life jacket because I’d rather drown.  Unfortunately, they were made specifically for a private party that had ordered them as a specialty, and they weren’t sold in the store. Well fine, I’ll go home and make them myself. There is a shortcut way of making these, but after I made a tart shell from scratch in culinary school, I was hooked on the buttery sweetness.  Even though it’s more time consuming and cuts into my Facebook stalking time, the taste is definitely worth the effort. **SHORTCUT RECIPE** Not everyone is able to take the time to make mini tart shells from scratch, and I don’t blame them!  It is more time consuming…  But have no fear…  You can purchase pre-made mini tart shells!  You may have to do some research online to see what stores in your area sells them, or you can purchase them HERE and have them shipped to your house.  Bam.  Or, you can use mini phyllo shells, found in the freezer section of most grocery stores, just follow the baking instructions.  Just keep in mind that it’s MUCH cheaper to make the shells yourself…and tastier, too. Imitation “Pastry Crème” 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 oz. frozen whipped topping (thawed) Whisk together milk, vanilla and pudding mix, cover, set in refrigerator for 5 minutes.  Stir in whipped topping, store in refrigerator. Chocolate Ganache 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil.  Pour over chocolate chips in bowl, whisk together until chocolate is melted. Whipped Topping Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed Putting It All Together Here’s the fun part (well, besides shoving these little bad boys into your mouth).  Using a pastry bag (or ziplock bag, or a spoon), pipe the pastry crème into the cooled tart shells.  Don’t pile it up too high though, you still gotta save room for that chocolate ganache.  It’s not [...]