French Chocolate Tart
Serves 10 to 12
Oven Temperature: 300°F/150°C
Baking Time: 20 minutes
Baking Equipment: One 9½ by 1 inch high fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, coated with baking spray with flour if not nonstick
A cookie sheet
This is the creamiest of chocolate custards in an embrace of sweet almond cookie tart crust. It is very much like a pot de crème, but even more chocolaty.
Crust
| Sweet Almond Cookie Tart or Pie Crust, prebaked (see instructions), still on the pan on the cookie sheet | 312 grams | 1 recipe |
| OR | ||
| Sweet Chocolate Cookie Tart Crust, prebaked (see instructions), still on the pan on the cookie sheet | 455 grams | 1 recipe |
Chocolate Custard Filling
| 2 large egg yolks | 37 grams | 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) |
| dark chocolate, 60% to 62% cacao, chopped | 200 grams | 7 ounces |
| sugar | 19 grams | 1½ tablespoons |
| heavy cream | 232 grams | 1 cup (237 ml) |
| milk | 81 grams | ⅓ cup (79 ml) |
| unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder, for dusting | . | 1 teaspoon |
Preheat the Oven
▪ Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 300ºF/150ºC.
Mise en Place
▪ Shortly before making the filling, into a 1 cup measure with a spout, weigh or measure the egg yolks.
▪ Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a small glass bowl.
Make the Filling
1. In a food processor, process the chocolate and sugar until very fine.
2. In a 2 cup glass measure with a spout, in the microwave, scald the cream and milk: Heat them to the boiling point; small bubbles will form around the periphery. (Alternatively, scald them in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.)
3. With the motor running, pour the cream and milk mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream into the chocolate mixture. Process for a few seconds until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and process for a few seconds.
5. Press the custard filling through the strainer and scrape any mixture clinging to the underside into the bowl. Then scrape it into the baked tart shell.
Bake the Tart
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until slightly puffy at the edges and set. When gently moved, the filling should jiggle all over like jello. If in doubt, the first time making it you may want to use an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center (although then you will have a hole in the surface). It should register 180ºF/82ºC.
Cool the Tart
7. Set the tart on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 2 hours to set.
Dust the Tart with Cocoa
8. Place the cocoa in a fine-mesh strainer and dust the surface of the tart. Allow it to sit for a minimum of another hour before serving.
Unmold the Tart
9. Place the tart pan on top of a canister that is smaller than the bottom opening of the tart pan’s outer rim. Press down on both sides of the tart ring. The outer rim should slip away easily. If you used white chocolate to seal any holes in the crust (see Solutions for Possible Problems), you will need to melt it. To release the bottom of the pan, set the tart on a hot towel or heated inverted cake pan for about a minute, and repeat if necessary, until you can easily slide the tart onto a serving plate. If necessary, slide a thin bladed knife or long metal spatula under the crust to release it.
Serve
10. Cut with a thin sharp knife, run under hot water and wiped dry. Allow the slices to sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
Store Uncovered: room temperature, 1 day.
covered and refrigerated: 1 week. Do not freeze; freezing dulls the flavor.
Baking Pearl
The food processor (or an immersion blender) works beautifully to emulsify the custard filling ingredients into a silky smooth cream. After processing the scalded cream and milk mixture with the chocolate, the temperature will be around 127°F/53°C, so as long as the motor is running, the temperature will be fine to add the egg yolks without risk of curdling. It is hot enough to set the egg’s ropey chalazae (the string-like part of the egg) so that it can be strained out, making the filling smoother.
Make This Recipe Your Own
Drizzle with Caramel Sauce and/or serve with Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream.
Making French Chocolate Tart
Scrape the chocolate custard into a strainer.
Press the custard through the strainer into a bowl.
Pour and scrape the custard into the baked tart shell.
Dust the cooled tart with cocoa.