CHOCOLATE TART
12 February 2010
CHOCOLATE TART : a great chocolate recipe
Valentine’s Day – whether you are a fan or not, it is always a good excuse to make something sweet. And what could be better than chocolate.
This is an ideal desert as it is simple, can be made in advance, and is sinfully delicious. The slightly sweet pastry has a buttery tender crumb combined with the rich, unctuous chocolate ganache filling, that is not too sweet nor too dark – it is a match made in heaven.
Though I must confess I have stage fright when it comes to making pastry. This requires summoning up the courage to attack the recipe (yes attack… I am going into battle) who will win is anyone’s guess. But have no fear, here you are safe. This recipe is tried, tested and true.
The pastry tart shells are made in advance after which no more baking is needed. The chocolate ganache is just heated cream poured over chopped chocolate, then spooned into the pastry shells and left to set. For the original recipe using orange zest see The Ulterior Epiqure
See link ‘Chocolate tart‘ below for recipe:
- 190 g all-purpose white flour
- 55 g icing (powdered) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 113 g unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1-2 tablespoon cold water (as required)
Method :
- Combine flour, icing sugar, & salt. Mix well.
- Cut butter into small cubes. The butter should be just slightly soft to the touch.
- Using a mixer on medium/low speed, add butter cubes one by one to flour mixture. This step can be done by hand.
- Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water.
- Mix on low speed until pastry dough comes together
- If the pastry is still crumbly, add a little more water
Tart shell making:
- Pre-heat the oven, 200°C (400°F) convection heat
- The pastry dough does not need to be chilled.
- Roll out between two sheets of baking paper until 0.4mm thick. You may need help holding the paper still while rolling the dough.
- Line each tart tin with the pastry
- Using a fork prick the bottoms to prevent pastry puffing (weights are not needed)
- Bake for approx. 12 minutes. until golden
- Let cool completely while making the chocolate filling.
Ganache – Chocolate Filling :
- 335 g dark chocolate (45% cacao)
- 300 mL liquid whipping (heavy) cream
- Finely chop the chocolate*
- Heat the cream till it just boils.
- Immediately pour over chopped chocolate
- Using a whisk, mix until smooth
- Immediately pour into the prepared tart shells
- Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. If not setting, place in fridge for 2 hours.
- Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove at least 30 minutes before serving to let the chocolate come to room temperature.
- TIP : run your knife under HOT water before cutting the tart.
*the smaller the chocolate pieces the faster they will melt, if the pieces are too large the cream may not be hot enough after a few minutes to melt them all.
12 February 2010 at 9:31 pm
I’ve never had a chocolate tart; looks great! As does the site 😀
12 February 2010 at 10:11 pm
Hey Michelle,
you have not lived until you have tried one of these tarts. Olivier ate two at once!
16 February 2010 at 9:36 pm
This tart oozes all those good things that we chocolate lovers long for in a dessert and I will be trying it soon at my next dinner party. Pastry is always a challenge for most people but with such an easy recipe, it should be a cinch! I’m with Olivier……….two at a time is the way to go. Nice that you did it near Valentine’s Day! yum, Marjorie x
9 March 2010 at 3:25 am
I’ll have three, please!
9 March 2010 at 6:03 pm
Hi Giselle,
hope you are all well. Did you get my email re the Luki lemon squeezer?
Perhaps it got lost in cyber space.
These tarts are heavenly, three may not be enough!
xxx
23 March 2010 at 6:09 pm
i am the lucky colleague (unfortunately for not so long anymore) of Erika. This chocolate tart was the first thing she brought at the office for me to taste, and it was really really nice! Not too sweet, not too bitter with the dark chocolate. It was just like a chocolate tart is meant to taste like.
I then made one myself…was really quick, and Erika’s recipe is very easy to follow…BE CAREFUL, make sure you do the ganache fairly quickly otherwise you might just eat the dough while waiting for the choco. melting…even uncooked, the dough tasted just like pate d’amandes. Un vrai régal!!!!!