chocolate tart with shortbread crust.

March 4, 2013

chocolate tart Weekends that include an afternoon with a chocolate tart cooling on the table can only be counted as successful. Doesn’t matter how filled up it was with non-chocolatey activities, a weekend that finishes with a healthy dose of chocolate and a pillow of whipped cream fall firmly into the category of good. Double the points if it wasn’t even you who brought the dessert into being.

This tart is easy to make and easier to enjoy. It’s a riff on Baked’s chocolate tart with whiskey, except for us it was minus the whiskey. Not because we’re teetotalers, but just because we didn’t have any handy. We’ve made this tart a few times recently and it’s so good and so simple, that I thought we should share. I use ‘we’ here only loosely. James has always been the one to make the tart, I only hounded him about the process and asked him to freeze periodically throughout so that I could share photos with all of you. shortbread cookies and butter crushing shortbread, chocolate tart crushed shortbread, chocolate tart shortbread crust, chocolate tart milk and dark chocolate, chocolate tart pouring chocolate filling, chocolate tart baked chocolate tart

Ingredients:

Shortbread crust:
10 ounces shortbread cookies, mashed (we used a little less than 2 boxes of Walker’s)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ounces butter (if unsalted, add a pinch or two of salt)

Filling:
3/4 cup cream
1/3 cup whole milk
6 ounces dark chocolate
3.5 ounces milk chocolate (we used a bar of Divine)
(the original recipe calls for 5 oz. dark and 4 oz. milk)

1 egg + one egg yolk

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (or more) vanilla (we’ve been using vanilla bean paste, lately)

For the crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. The original recipe calls for a springform pan. This would be useful to folks interested in being able to serve this dessert neatly. For tiny apartment dwellers, or anyone who enjoys throwing caution to the wind, a tart pan will do just fine.

2. Smash your cookies to smithereens  If you have a food processor, have at it. If you prioritize cocktail muddlers over food processors, like we do, muddlers come in handy here. (A plastic bag and a large mug could also work well). The bottom line, smash your cookies any way that you can, until they are reduced to very fine crumbs. Combine with sugar and salt, if using.

3. Pour melted butter over the crumbs and combine with a fork. Once combined, turn the mixture into a lightly greased pan (whichever sort you’re using), and press it into the bottom and up the sides. Use your fingers. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes, or so.

(If you’re using a ceramic dish like we did, let your tart pan warm up again a bit before the next step).

4. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust until it is dry to the touch. We left ours in for about 10 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and let cool. Increase oven temp to 325 F.

For the filling:

1. This couldn’t be easier. Over medium heat, stir together the cream and milk. Don’t skimp on the full fat stuff, unless you’re not into things that are tasty, in which case, do.  Let the mixture simmer. Don’t walk away from the stove. Nothing is worse than scalded milk.

2. Remove the pan from the burner and add the chopped up chocolate bits. Whisk everything together and then set aside so that the chocolate mixture can cool.

3. Next step is to add your eggs. Taste a bit of the chocolate to be sure that it’s not so hot that your eggs will cook when you put them in. Use a fork to beat in your egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and a tablespoon of flour. (You can do this step separately if you’d like as the original recipe suggests, but just plopping everything in works out just fine as long as you whisk well).

4. Pour filling into the tart crust and bake for 20 minutes. The edges should be set, but the center should be jiggly, like most things that are yummy.  Remove from the oven and cool.

5. This tart is best served with a giant heaping mound of vanilla scented whipped cream, but we brought ours to a festive dinner with friends, so we waited to do the mounding until it was ready to be eaten. We came home with a clean dish. A good sign, I think.

Happy March.

You Might Also Like

27 Comments

  • Reply Sian March 4, 2013 at 1:14 pm

    okay I am SO making this! x

    2
  • Reply Julia March 4, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    Oh, the self control it would take to let it cool!

    1
  • Reply Anna March 4, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    Like like like! Looks delicious and I totally agree that a sunday isn't a proper sunday without any biscuit-tarte-cake whatsoever.

    1
  • Reply Julia @ WritersBlockNearYou March 4, 2013 at 2:33 pm

    YUM. This could not look any more delicious.

    2
  • Reply Robyn March 4, 2013 at 2:35 pm

    this looks amazing! my march dinner night dish has been found!

    2
  • Reply Rebecca Alexis March 4, 2013 at 2:43 pm

    ohhhhhhhh so so yummy. thanks so for sharing. I could dive into that recipe right now. xo

    2
  • Reply Daniella C March 4, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    Yum! Yours looks good as well, and we baked them in the same dish too, ha!

    1
  • Reply Shivani March 4, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    This sounds positively amazing – I'm going home for spring break, which is the best time to try new chocolate recipes!

    1
  • Reply Lauren Ashley March 4, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    Yummy, successful indeed!

    1
  • Reply Chloe Moon March 4, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    Oh my that looks yummy!!!! =) Ooo I love how you crumbled the cookies to make the crust!! =)

    Ergo – Blog

    1
  • Reply Cara of Big Girls, Small Kitchen March 4, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    My goodness, this tart is absolutely beautiful! This reminds me of one of my favorite Alice Medrich recipes – she adds some espresso powder to the filling, which is delicious.

    0
  • Reply Little Kitchie March 4, 2013 at 3:40 pm

    Looks fabulous! Such a pretty dessert!

    0
  • Reply Katie March 4, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    Yum! Just might be trying this in the next few days.

    0
  • Reply hannah March 4, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    this looks awesome. but also, you should try these http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2001/04/espresso_ganache_tartlets. i've been making them since i was 14 and they are life-changing.

    0
  • Reply Sandy Caribou March 4, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    Yum! This looks fantastic, simple, and beautiful. Definitely going to try it this coming weekend.

    PS I have been following your blog for months. It's quickly becoming my favorite thing to read. Thanks for doing you.

    1
  • Reply Mags Pomichowski March 4, 2013 at 6:29 pm

    Wow this looks divine and I am not even too big of a fan of chocolate.

    xoxo
    Mags
    http://magsmind22.blogspot.com

    1
  • Reply Stefie March 4, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    Looks delicious! Would you mind divulging where your gorgeous tart pan is from? šŸ™‚

    1
  • Reply BON AND JOUR March 4, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    Sometimes, the simple things just are the best šŸ™‚

    0
  • Reply Ann Marie March 5, 2013 at 2:43 am

    i want to make this and take it in to bed with me–i wouldn't share any of it.

    0
  • Reply LuLin Teas Blog March 5, 2013 at 4:01 pm

    This looks divine! Thanks for sharing!!

    0
  • Reply Michelle Annett March 5, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    That looks divine!

    0
  • Reply Hannah. March 6, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    oh my, this looks so yummy.

    Hannah
    x

    0
  • Reply BON AND JOUR March 10, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    This was the perfekt addition to a snowy sunday!

    1
  • Reply sweet harvest moon March 11, 2013 at 11:48 pm

    Must make this soon..

    1
  • Reply lcaroselli May 13, 2013 at 11:56 am

    I made this yesterday for Mother's Day and it was perfect. Thanks!

    1
  • Reply Carol on Carroll April 4, 2014 at 6:48 pm

    i made this. it was super tasty. http://instagram.com/p/l3bsgXCZdL/

    1
  • Reply Bridget May 11, 2023 at 11:41 am

    I just have to comment to let you know I’ve made this numerous times and just pulled it up again to make on Mothers Day and realized this is a 10 year old post!!! Thank you for this recipe! šŸ™‚

    1
  • Leave a Reply to Mags Pomichowski Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Comments are moderated.