Thursday, October 16, 2008

Perfectly Simple Dark Chocolate Tart


Did you miss me? :) I've missed you! I've been pretty busy at work and have not baked nearly as much as I'd like lately. Heck, forget baking, I haven't even had real dinners. It feels a little like my college years, feasting on cereal and milk or oatmeal. But I finally dusted off my neglected oven and re-entered the baking scene with a dark chocolate tart that is silky in texture and very rich. Take note, I don't use the word "rich" lightly. But what I really want you to take is a wild guess whose recipe this is. I dare you. Ok, you win. Lori Longbotham.


Perfectly Simple Dark Chocolate Tart
Recipe by Lori Longbotham in Luscious Chocolate Desserts
Serves 12

Crust
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, cooled
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling
14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cocoa powder for dusting

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

To make the crust: Process the sugar and walnuts in a food processor until the walnuts are finely ground. Add the flour, cocoa, and salt and pulse just until blended. Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture begins to come together when a small amount is pressed between your fingers; do not over-process - the mixture should not form a ball. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the crust begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

To make the filling: Melt the chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the eggs and sugar until well blended. Whisk in the vanilla. Transfer the filling to the warm crust.

Bake for about 12 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center; the top of the tart will look a little blistered, and that's okay. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours.

To serve, remove the pan rim. Lightly dust the tart with cocoa powder and cut into wedges.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Make the dough for the crust and press into the tart pan...

Bake the crust...
Make the tart filling...
Spread the filling into the baked tart shell...
Bake the tart. Mmmmm...

Drool.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

i missed you, for sure. i even checked during the split second that your blog went offline and sent a freak-out email to you! =) the tart looks so delicious it's making me salivate...

Marni said...

ctjhia - that was pretty funny timing. i couldn't believe i took the site down to move it to my own domain and in those literally 2 minutes, you were trying to visit the site. btw, if you don't already own a tart pan, they cost less than $15 and make really easy impressive desserts. I can help you shop for one if you want... :)

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