Tarte au Chocolat

Following on from the success of my Tarte au citron I decided to try another tart, this time with a chocolat flavour.

This recipe is actually from a book by Christophe Felder, called Patisserie.  I bought the book recently and have enjoyed reading right through it looking for things to try.  The recipe in the book is actually called Pate Sucree Chocolat.  In Christophe’s recipe he uses a square pastry ring to make the tarte case.  I didn’t have one so I used a flan tin and it worked just fine.

The resultant tarte was just fantastic, though as I was making it I was having doubts about whether it would turn out ok.  In the event my worries were unfounded. But I should say that I used a different pastry to that in the original recipe.  So what I have done here is to detail the original recipe and at the end I have added details of the pastry I used.  Hence I called mine a different name to the one in the book.

• 3/4 cup – 3 oz – 95g confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup – 1 oz – 30g ground almonds
• 1 1/4 sticks  – 5 oz – 150g  of butter – softened
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg at room temperature 
• 1 3/4 – 8 oz – 225 g – all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp – 15g unsweetened cocoa powder.
• That is the ingredients for Pate Sucree Chocolat.

• 10 oz – 290g bittersweet chocolate(about 65% cocoa)
• 1 3/4 – sticks – 7oz – 200g butter
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup – 2oz – 60g sugar.

1. Sift the confectioners sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Add the ground almonds, butter, sal and vanilla sugar(or extract).
3. Beat the ingredients at a low speed, with the paddle attachment, until the mixture is smooth.  Or use a wooden spoon.
4. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
5. Sift the flour, with the cocoa powder, into the bowl and bet in until smooth. 
6. Flatten the dough into a disk and cover it with plastic wrap.
7. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
8.  
9. Preheat the oven to 350F (170C).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Butter a 7inch square pastry ring or 9 inch round pastry ring.  (it said this but I don’t have either, so a 9 inch flan tin would have to do).
11. On a lightly floured work surface roll out the dough, slightly less than 1/8 inch (2 mm) thick.
12. Drape the dough over the rolling pinn  and transfer to teh pastry ring.  Trim the overhang, so that it is flush with the rim of the ring.  
13. Prick the base of the tart shell with a fork.
14. Bake for 15-20 mins, until a light crust forms on the top.  Let cool.
15. Increase the oven temperature to 375F(190C).

1. Finely chop the chocolate.  
2. In a bowl, set over a saucepan filled with one inch of barely simmering water, or in 30 second burst in a microwave, melt the chocolate with the butter.
3. Stir until smooth.
4. Break the whole eggs into a medium bowl and add the egg yolks.
5. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and thick, about 5 minutes.
6. Fold in the chocolate with a flexible spatula, until smooth.
7. Slightly mound the filling in thetart shell and smooth the top with a spatula.  (Note, mine may not have been quite thick enough, as I just poured it in).
8. Bake for about 5 minutes, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.
9. Let cool completely before serving.

• 2 Cups – 9oz – 250g all purpose flour  ( I substituted 90 grams of this for cocoa powder, which made a very chocolatey pastry)
• 1 stick + 1tbsp – 5 oz – 140 g butter, cold and diced.
• 1/2 cup – 3 1/2 oz – 100g sugar
• 1 egg yolk.

• Sift the flour/cocoa into a large bowl.  add the butter and sugar.
• Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients.
• Continue rubbing until the mixture forms fine crumbs.
• Add the egg yolk and knead until the dough is smooth and form a ball.
• Flatten the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap.
• Chill for at least 2 hours.
•  
• Preheat the oven to 350F(180C).
• Butter the tart pan (9 inch round).
• On a lightly floured work surface roll out the dough, until it is  1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.
• Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to the tart tin.  Trim the overhang so it is flush with the rim of the pan.
• Prick the base of the tart shell with a fork.
• Bake for 15-20 mins, until a light crust forms on the top.  Let cool.