Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TART

Category: Tarts

This tart is extremely rich and best served in small slices with fresh berries and unsweetened Whipped Cream

Chocolate Tart Crust
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

Filling
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp Cognac or Brandy or Grand Marnier

For the crust: Whisk the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla together and set aside. Process the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses. With the machine running, pour the egg mixture through the feed tube and continue to process until the dough just comes together around the processor blade, about 12 seconds. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, following the photos in the related Tip. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet. Press a large square of foil inside the frozen tart crust and up over the edges. Fill the crust with pie weights or pennies. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Carefully remove the weights and foil and continue to baked until the crust is a deep golden brown, 5 to minutes longer. Transfer the baking sheet with the tart crust to a wire rack and let cool.

Fill and bake: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a microwave on high power, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute before slowly whisking the mixture smooth. Stir in the butter until melted and combined, then stir in the cognac. Pour the filling into the baked, cooled tart crust and spread in an even layer. Refrigerate the tart until the filling is firm, at least 3 hours, before serving.

Serves 12 to 14

Notes
For a rich chocolate-flavored crust, add cocoa powder along with the flour and confectioners sugar.
Use good-quality bittersweet chocolate. Because the filling is so simple, the quality of the chocolate is imperative to the filling’s final flavor.
Add a little cognac (or brandy) to the filling to lend complexity to the chocolate flavor.
Stir the filling gently to avoid creating bubbles that would mar the otherwise silky smooth texture of the finished tart.

To Make Ahead

Crust: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the countertop until malleable before rolling. A baked tart crust will keep at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
Tart: The tart can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.