Two at a Time Baking

I offered to make and bring dessert to my in-laws for Easter Sunday dinner tonight.  Ever since Erik had a delicious chocolate tart at Magnolia Grill several months ago, I've been wanting to try making something similar. I did some research online and found that Alice Medrich had one that looked pretty similar.  The one at Magnolia Grill was served with a caramel sauce which I was planning to make but my friend Lisa raved about Alice Medrich's Raw Sugar Toffee Sauce so I decided to give that a try.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy it so I'll definitely be keeping this recipe in the rotation.  I'm excited to try it again with a few tweaks.  The crust was bit crispier than I would have liked and the edges were kind of ragged.  Next time, I will make sure that the tart dough is thick enough all the way to the top of the pan and I'll try baking it a little less before filling it.  I used Callebaut bittersweet chocolate and light muscovado sugar.  As usual, the guys at our favorite local wine store (Wine Authorities) made a great suggestion for a dessert wine to pair with it - Sant Evasio, Brachetto d'Acqui, which is a sparkling red with a nice amount of small bubbles.

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Toffee Sauce

Adapted from Alice Medrich’s recipes

Wine Pairing: Sant Evasio, Brachetto d'Acqui

 

Crust

8 tablespoons butter, melted

0.25 cup granulated sugar

0.75 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

 

Filling

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 large egg

 

Sauce

0.75 cup firmly packed raw sugar (light or dark muscovado or palm; avoid piloncillo)

1 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

 

Garnish

Sea salt

 

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Mix until just blended. The dough will be warm, very soft and moist. If the dough seems too soft to work with, let it sit for a few minutes to firm up.

3. Place the ungreased tart pan on a cookie sheet. Gently press the dough into the tart pan as thinly as possible. Start with the sides, making them about 0.25 inch thick, and then press the remaining dough evenly over the bottom, pressing well into the corners. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or chill until ready to bake (you can make the crust up to 3 days ahead).

4. Put the pan on a cookie sheet and bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and fully baked, 20 to 25 minutes, checking after about 15 minutes to see if the dough has puffed. If it has, press the dough down with the back of a fork and prick a few times if necessary.

5. While the tart shell is baking, heat the cream and sugar in a small saucepan to boiling. Remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk together until combined. Keep warm.

6. Just before removing the tart shell from the oven, whisk the egg into the chocolate mixture.

7. Remove the tart shell from the oven and lower the oven to 300 degrees. Pour the chocolate filling into the hot tart shell. Return the tart (on the baking sheet) to the oven and bake until the filling is set around the edges but still jiggles a little in the center when you nudge the pan, 10 – 15 minutes. Keeping the tart in its pan, carefully move to a wire rack and cool completely.

8. To make sauce, whisk together the sugar, cream and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

9. After tart is completely cool, remove the sides of the tart pan by placing your hand under the pan, touching only the removable bottom (not the sides). Gently push the tart straight up, away from the sides. The fluted tart ring will fall away and slide down your arm. If you want to remove the bottom of the pan, run a knife or thin metal spatula between the crust and metal bottom, then slide the tart onto a cardboard cake round.  Chill for about an hour to fully set.  Serve at room temperature.

9. Just before serving, sprinkle sea salt on top of each slice and drizzle toffee sauce on the side of each slice of tart.

10. Enjoy!

 

Notes:

• Alice Medrich’s original recipe called for 8 four inch by 0.75 inch fluted tartlet pans . If using four inch tartlet pans, bake the shells for 15-20 minutes. Then turn off the oven, fill the shells with the chocolate mixture and return the tarts to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Dessert First tried the recipe using mini muffin tins (24 two inch by 0.75 inch cups) and the results look fantastic.
• The tart is best on the day it's made but may be refrigerated for 2-3 days. Once the tart is completely cool, cover it, but make sure no plastic wrap touches the surface.