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Cobweb Chocolate Tart Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Cobweb Chocolate Tart Recipe

I made this cobweb chocolate tart for a small Halloween get-together last year, and it turned into my most requested fall dessert ever since. I love that there's no oven involved, no fussy pastry to blind-bake, and yet the finished tart looks like something from a bakery window.
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Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs – this forms the crunchy base and I like crushing the cookies myself for a finer, more even crust.
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted – helps bind the crumbs together so the crust holds its shape when sliced.
  • 6 oz cream cheese softened – softened cheese blends smoother, so I always leave mine out for about 30 minutes first.
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar – balances the bitterness of the cocoa in the filling.
  • 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder – gives the filling its rich chocolate flavor without extra sweetness.
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract – rounds out the chocolate flavor with a warm background note.
  • 1 tablespoon milk – loosens the cream cheese mixture just enough for easy folding.
  • 6 oz Cool Whip about 2 cups, thawed – whips the filling into a light, mousse-like texture without extra effort.
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream – heats into a silky ganache for the top layer.
  • 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips – melts into the dark ganache that forms the tart's base layer of the web.
  • 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream – a small batch just for the white ganache used to pipe the web.
  • 2 oz white chocolate chips – melts into the pale ganache used to pipe the spiral pattern.
  • 4-5 oz orange candy melts plus extra for spider bodies – shapes into the legs and bodies of the little candy spiders.
  • A handful of mini chocolate chips – makes the perfect tiny eyes for each spider.

Method
 

  1. I start by stirring the Oreo crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl until every crumb looks moistened. Then I press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of my greased tart pan using the back of a spoon. Popping it in the fridge for a few minutes while I prep the filling helps it firm up nicely.
  2. In a large bowl, I beat the softened cream cheese with sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk until it's completely smooth with no lumps. I gently fold in the Cool Whip by hand rather than the mixer, which keeps the mixture light and airy. This step is really what gives the tart its mousse-like texture.
  3. Once the filling is ready, I spread it evenly over the chilled crust using an offset spatula, smoothing the top so it's level. A flat surface here makes the ganache layer look much neater later on, so I try not to rush this part.
  4. I combine the heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl, then microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each one, until it's fully melted and glossy. I pour this over the chilled filling and spread it out evenly, right to the edges of the crust.
  5. For the web itself, I melt the white chocolate chips with a splash of heavy cream the same way, then transfer it into a piping bag. Starting at the very center of the tart, I pipe a spiral of white ganache all the way out to the edge, keeping the lines fairly close together.
  6. This part looks fancy but is honestly the easiest step. I take a toothpick and drag it from the center of the tart straight out to the edge, repeating this about eight times around the spiral. Each drag pulls the white ganache into the classic cobweb pattern.
  7. I melt orange candy melts and pipe six "L" shaped legs per spider onto parchment paper, letting them set for a few minutes. Then I attach three legs to each side of a round candy melt body with a small dot of melted candy, holding each leg for about 30 seconds until it sticks.
  8. Once the spiders have set, I melt a few mini chocolate chips and pipe tiny dots on for eyes. I place the finished spiders on top of the web, then refrigerate the whole tart until I'm ready to slice and serve it.

Notes

  • I always make sure my cream cheese is truly softened before mixing, otherwise I end up with little lumps in the filling that never fully smooth out.
  • I've found that chilling the crust for at least 10 minutes before adding the filling keeps it from crumbling when I slice the tart later.
  • When I pipe the web spiral, I try to keep my hand steady and my lines close together, since wider gaps make the web pattern less defined.
  • I like to work quickly with the candy melts because they firm up fast, so I keep my piping bag close by and ready to go.
  • I always refrigerate the tart for at least an hour before serving, which helps every layer set and makes cutting clean slices much easier.