My Culinary Trial Room

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Chocolate Tart with Eggless Shortcrust Pastry

Life has been getting pretty busy here and so blogging has started taking a backseat. It might take some time to be back to normal and I will update you on the recent happenings once everything takes the right path. Am not doing any blog hopping like before nor am I setting aside time to edit photos, compose and finally put up a post here. But that doesn't mean that I am not cooking. In fact am cooking more and to be specific I have been baking a lot. Since appa is here, I have a guinea pig in hand and that kicks me to bake more. He tastes everything I dish out and its always positive comments that I get and that encourages me to bake more. I will be back with all those recipes and with more zeal. Don't get me wrong, I am not announcing a break but there is going to be some lag here so bear with that and do keep visiting the old posts.

Moving on to this tart, this is what I made for the munchkins monthly birthday. Something sweet, something new and something totally addictive. The smooth, perfectly set chocolate custard with that crunchy melt in the mouth biscuit was a delight to have. "Anything is good if it's made of chocolate ~ Jo Brand" and if you like anything with chocolate then you will surely love this tart. Munchkins had his fair share and I knew he loved it when he came for seconds.

The tart shell was so flaky and just melted with a bite. You could go for some savory filling if you are not into sweet fillings (..which I highly doubt). Lemon curd, caramel with praline or 1/2 a cup of plain nutella are some other ideas.

~*What U need*~
Makes a 4 inch tart
For the Shortcrust Pastry dough:
Flour - 1 cup
Butter - 50g/ 1/4 cup, chopped in cubes
Salt - a pinch(skip if using salted butter)
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Ice cold water - 2-3 tbsp

For the filling:
Semi-sweet chocolate - 1/2 cup
Heavy cream - 1/4 cup
Milk - 2 tbsp
Egg yolk - 1
Salt - a pinch
Sugar - 1 tbsp

How I Made it:
In a mixing bowl add flour, salt, sugar and mix well. Add in the cold butter and rub with your fingers till it forms coarse crumbs. Now add water to form a dough. Cover it with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins. After 30 mins, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully lay the dough inside a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan so it fits tightly and then press the edges into the sides of the pan. It is important to press the dough evenly into every nook and corner of the ring, especially the scalloped edges. Shave off the excess with a knife. Put the tart in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to relax. Preheat the oven to 175C. Line the tart with aluminum foil and add dried beans dried beans and bake for 30-35 mins.

To make the filling: Heat the heavy cream and milk in a pot over medium-low flame, until u see bubbles in the sides. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate and set aside for 2 mins. Stir till the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the sugar and salt and whisk. Beat the egg yolk in a bowl and slowly add the chocolate mixture. Whisk well. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell and bake at 170 C for 20 mins or till the surface is non-sticky and glossy.

Slice and Serve with whipped cream!!!

** My Notes:
** Chilling the dough is very important to get that flaky crust.
** Also do not over work the dough.
** You can strain the chocolate-egg mixture to remove lumps.
** You can also add the zest of an orange when heating the cream.
** If you see any bubbles or cracks forming on the surface, take the tart out right away - that means it is beginning to become over baked. Mine got a wee bit overbaked.
** I used the fresh cream that I get at my place, it worked well too.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,