Chocolate Nougatine Tartlets

Beat the unsalted butter with the icing sugar, salt and almonds; blend well. Add the egg then the sifted flour; roughly mix to combine. Press the crumbs into a ball then, on a lightly floured work surface, use the heel of the hand to push bits of dough away from you, smearing them across the work surface to blend the unsalted butter and flour. Work quickly; repeat if necessary. Form into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 30 min.
Preheat the oven at 180°C (355°F). Butter 12 -14 8 cm tartlet moulds. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 mm. Using a 10 cm pastry cutter, stamp out 12 - 14 rounds of dough. Line the moulds with the dough and prick the pastry bases using a fork.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Bake the dough-lined moulds for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool on a rack. Lower the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F).

Cover a baking sheet with baking parchment and place the sliced almonds on it. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until lightly coloured. Place the sugar and honey in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Increase the heat and boil (do not stir) for about 10 minutes, or until the syrup becomes amber coloured. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the toasted almonds. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and place another sheet of parchment on top. Using a rolling pin, spread the nougatine into a layer 2 mm thick. When cool, coarsely grind in a food processor.

Heat the cream until simmering. Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale yellow and creamy. Stir ⅓ of the cream quickly into the eggs and sugar and mix well to combine; return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until thickened and the mixture coats the back of the spoon. (Do not allow to boil!) Remove from the heat immediately and strain over the chopped chocolate; stir carefully until smooth.

Place the nougatine in the tartlet shells to come to ¾ up the sides and fill with the chocolate cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the cream is firm. Sprinkle with the remaining nougatine.