26 February 2010

Ridiculous Double Chocolate Tart


Given the choice between sweet and savory, I prefer not to choose. But, if I absolutely must, I suppose I've always been a savory girl at heart. The chocolate tart I made this week, though, might just have forced me over to the dark side.

A month or so ago a measuring mishap (usually what results when I attempt to bake) saddled me with a few dozen too-buttery-to-eat chocolate cookies. Not one to waste any food that might even be passably edible, I decided to freeze them, thinking I'd eventually use them to make a cookie crumb crust or something. Let's just say that frugality has its rewards. Ground up in the food processor and then pressed into a tart pan with a removable bottom, these cookies made just the right foundation for a deep, dark, ridiculously rich chocolate tart.

I copied the filling from a recipe from Smitten Kitchen, one of my fave food blogs. Check it out here: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/dark-chocolate-tart-with-gingersnap-crust/. I promise you will not be disappointed with any of Deb's recipes! I usually like my chocolate unadulterated, particularly when it comes to additions like cinnamon but here it works. If you make this, and I highly suggest you do, don't forget the dollop of softly whipped cream to, you know, cut the richness of the chocolate.

Ridiculous Double Chocolate Tart

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 10 servings

Crust:

about 1 1/2 cups of chocolate cookie crumbs (maybe those nabisco wafers you make icebox cake out of?) plus 1/2 stick salted butter melted

OR
8 ounces gingersnap cookies (about 32 cookies), coarsely broken
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted

Filling:
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used a bag of chocolate chips, no chopping)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Softly whipped cream, for serving

For crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Finely grind gingersnap cookies in processor (yielding 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups). Add melted butter and process until moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet.

For filling:
Combine finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and heavy whipping cream in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk over low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar, flour, ground black pepper, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Very gradually whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until smooth and blended. Pour chocolate filling into crust.

Bake chocolate tart until filling puffs slightly at edges and center is softly set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack. Cool tart in pan 20 minutes. Gently remove tart pan sides and cool tart completely.

Cut tart into thin wedges and serve with softly whipped cream.

2 comments:

LaLaLaLeah said...

Um... why wasn't I invited over for this one?

Jennie said...

Nisa, this looks wonderful and as always, your writing is delightful. I am thoroughly impressed!