26 May 2022

Chocolate Tart - Tarte au Chocolat

Chocolate Tart - Tarte au Chocolat / www.delightfulrepast.com

Mr Delightful doesn't usually comment on food when we're watching a movie or video, but he did so when a travel vlogger was eating and describing a chocolate dessert on a train journey. So I knew it had been too long since I'd made a Chocolate Tart.

I've made it with chocolate pastry before, but to me that is overkill. A filling with this much chocolate does not need a chocolate crust. To fancy it up for a dinner party, I might garnish with a bit of whipped cream and a few raspberries; but they are not needed and I've photographed for you the plain-jane slice that can stand alone.

Not just intensely chocolatey, this tart is ethereally light. Take a bite, put it in your mouth and the chocolate filling seems to disappear in your mouth. I hope you'll try it soon and let me know if you agree!


Chocolate Tart - Tarte au Chocolat / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Chocolate Tart - Tarte au Chocolat


(Makes one 9-inch/23cm tart, 8 servings)

The Pastry - Pâte Sucrée (a sweet shortcrust pastry)

1 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (6.25 ounces/177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 packed cup (1 ounce/28 grams) unsifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces/113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg

The Filling

1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces/198 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 7 chunks
10.5 ounces (298 grams) bittersweet (68 to 78%) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/3 cup (2.33 ounces/66 grams) sugar


1 Add flour, powdered sugar and salt to work bowl of food processor; turn on for about 3 or 4 seconds to combine. Add chunks of butter; pulse to a crumb texture. Add egg; pulse until the dough starts clumping together. This is to be a crisp, more cookie-like crust, rather than a flaky pastry; so there's not quite the concern about over-processing. Flatten slightly into a 5-inch round disk, wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

2 Lightly butter a 9-inch/23cm tart tin and set it on a baking sheet. On lightly floured 12-inch square of aluminum foil, roll out the pastry to a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to tart tin, pressing dough (but not stretching it) to fit the tin. Save the foil; you're not done with it. With scissors or knife, trim the overhang to 1/2 inch all around. Fold it in and press it to the sides to form a thicker side crust. Trim the edges by rolling the rolling pin over the top. Press the pastry into the flutes so that it rises a bit above the edge (in case of shrinkage). Pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

3 Cover chilled pastry with reserved piece of foil, clean side up, pressing it to fit well. Spread 2 cups of ceramic pie weights (that's two packages of Mrs. Anderson's ceramic pie weights) over the foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; continue baking for 10 minutes, until lightly browned to a pale golden.

4 While the pastry is baking, start the filling. In a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the butter until melted and small bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from heat; add the chopped chocolate and stir until thoroughly smooth. Stir in salt. The melted mixture needs to be tepid when you fold in the egg mixture. If at some point it begins to solidify a bit, you might need to apply a bit of low heat just to thin the mixture, not warm it.

5 Remove tart shell from the oven and turn the temperature down to 325F/165C/Gas3. While the pastry is cooling, continue with the filling. In a 2-quart bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is light and airy and doubled or tripled in volume. You may also use a heavy-duty stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and it may take less time.

6 Fold about a third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, gently but rather thoroughly. Then very gently fold in the remaining egg mixture, just until no visible streaks of egg remain. Try not to deflate the eggs.

7 Pour filling into prebaked pastry shell. Bake (with tart tin on baking sheet) for about 25 minutes, until just set but still with a bit of a wobble. Do not overbake. Cool on wire rack at room temperature for at least 2 hours. If you make it a day or two ahead, refrigerate it until 2 hours before serving time; allow it to come to room temperature. Cut into 8 to 12 wedges and serve with a dollop of unsweetened or barely sweetened whipped cream.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support.

Jean

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36 comments:

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Chocolate to the tastebuds is like air to the lungs! 5 cleavers.

ellen b. said...

I would be delighted to see this appear at the end of a dinner party. :) Looks delicious.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Honored to get the coveted 5 cleavers award! Like air to the lungs!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ellen! Send a link to your friends. Maybe it will happen! :D

Lorrie said...

Chocolate is always a winner for me. This sounds delicious, and the filling is very much like a flourless chocolate cake I make. Putting it into a crust would make it easier to cut and serve!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Lorrie. I love pie crust, so I think everything is better in a crust! :D

TONY said...

I love a great chocolate tart, Jean. Yours looks brilliant. Tony

Sherry's Pickings said...

dip and sweep? how cute! i do love a chocolate tart and i think you're very right about a choc crust being over the top. this looks delish!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Tony! I make another chocolate tart, but I especially love the texture of this one.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sherry, thank you! I believe there IS such a thing as too much chocolate!

Jeanie said...

I'm not even that fond of chocolate but that looks gorgeous!

Kitchen Riffs said...

It's been way too long since I've had a chocolate tart, too! This is lovely -- really nice recipe. And I wouldn't mind a chocolate crust, but I do think this is the better choice.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, John. I think you'd be amazed at the texture of the room temperature tart. So light that Champagne might be the only appropriate beverage for it!

Donna said...

This looks wonderful!! Thanks for posting it!
hugs
Donna

Marcelle said...

Jean this chocolate tart looks like a wonderful dessert! You plated it up so beautifully too!!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Marcelle, thank you so much!

David Scott Allen said...

I fully intend to make this, Jean! I love chocolate - and all variety of chocolate desserts. I have even gotten Markipedia to eat some chocolate desserts as of late - proof that a leopard can change it spots!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, David! I hope it gets Markipedia's seal of approval! 😁

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Oooh Jean, your tart sounds like chocolate heaven on a plate! I'd love to try it. I like the idea of the plain crust that you made. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Margie said...

My sweet tooth has never met a chocolate dessert that it didn't like. So this is right up my alley!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

It's along time since I had a slice of a delicious, classic chocolate tart and this has made me realise what I've been missing. It would very definitely put a smile on my face, albeit a very chocolatey smile.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Kitty!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Margie, I like to pair it with a nice Assam. How about you?

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Okay, Phil, I'll want to see you with a chocolatey smile!

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Oh my- this looks like a masterpeice to me. I am not much of a baker but I sure know what tastes good! Yum

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, GFAZ! And that pastry works beautifully with gluten-free ingredients.

Anne said...

You really can't beat a chocolate tart and this one sounds delicious. I'll pin it for later.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Anne! And Pins are always appreciated!

French Ethereal said...

Jean, there is something so wonderful about chocolate in the summertime... I was really happy to add your post to this week's Share Your Style #347 for you. <3 It just fit in with the whole summertime tablesetting theme that appeared as I was choosing photos/posts!!! Pinned as always!

Happy Saturday to you,
Barb :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Barb, thank you! Much appreciated. I'm actually having a slice right this minute! Had three slices from the last one in the freezer and took them out this morning. Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

chickenruby said...

That looks really yummy, will have to try it but Gluten Free.
Thanks for joining in with #pocolo

Bernideen said...

This looks wonderful! How perfect!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Suzanne. I've made the crust gluten-free many times, and it works beautifully!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Bernideen, thanks so much!

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

YUM! Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 78. Pinned.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Dee. Happy August!