The chocolate tart is a delicious, rich and creamy dessert. There are several recipes to prepare it: some pies are stuffed with a mousse, while others are cooked in the traditional way in the oven. You can use ready-made shortcrust pastry or make it at home. Ready-to-use bases are easily available at the supermarket, but preparing one is not that difficult: just carve out some time!
Ingrediants
Chocolate Tart
- 350 g of sugar
- 30 g of corn starch
- A pinch of salt
- 750 ml of whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 200 g of finely chopped semi-dark chocolate
- 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- Whipped cream (to serve)
Chocolate Chess Pie
- 350 g of sugar
- 5 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- A pinch of salt
- 120 ml of evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 80 g of softened butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Tart base
- 150 g of all-purpose flour
- A pinch of fine sea salt
- 10 tablespoons of cold butter cut into cubes
- 2-4 tablespoons of ice water
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Make a Chocolate Tart
Step 1. Prepare everything you need
You will need a shortcrust pastry with a diameter of 23 cm placed on a cake plate, the ingredients indicated above and the following tools:
- Fork;
- Tinfoil;
- Dried beans (to weigh down the shortcrust pastry);
- One small and one large bowl;
- Whip;
- Small saucepan;
- Table spoon.
Step 2. Bake the shortcrust pastry
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper on top of the pastry. To weigh it down, use oven balls or dried beans. This will ensure that the pasta retains the right shape and does not swell during cooking.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the balls and foil. Let it cook for another 5 minutes. The shortcrust pastry will be ready when it becomes crunchy and slightly golden.
- Set it aside to let it cool while you prepare the filling.
Step 3. Mix dry and wet ingredients
In a bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and milk.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones and beat them until all lumps are removed
Step 4. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, whisking it often
Once it starts bubbling and taking on the consistency of a pudding, turn off the heat.
Remove it from the heat as soon as it begins to thicken
Step 5. Add the other ingredients, namely chocolate, vanilla and butter, while it is hot
Continue to beat the mixture until the chocolate melts and you get a homogeneous result.
It takes a few minutes. The smaller the pieces of chocolate, the less time you will need
Step 6. Pour the filling onto the shortcrust pastry with the help of a spoon
Sprinkle it to distribute it evenly over the surface.
- If you have any leftover filling, pour it into some jars or cups and let it thicken in the fridge.
- Cover the filling with cling film to prevent a patina from forming on the surface. Put the tart in the fridge and let it cool for at least 4 hours, so that the filling thickens well.
Step 7. Garnish with whipped cream before serving
Once ready, cut the tart into slices, serve and garnish with whipped cream.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate - it should last a couple of days
Method 2 of 3: Make a Chocolate Chess Pie
Step 1. Bake the shortcrust pastry
Place aluminum foil or parchment paper on top of the dough, then weight it down with baking balls. Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 ° C for 15 minutes. Remove the balls and tinfoil. Let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the shortcrust pastry and let it cool.
- Set the oven temperature to 160 ° C.
Step 2. Mix the ingredients
To start, combine the dry ingredients - sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt - in a large bowl. Then, add the milk and mix the mixture with an electric mixer until it is very homogeneous.
- Add one egg at a time, mixing it well with the mixture before proceeding.
- Finally, add the butter and vanilla. Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, until all the ingredients are incorporated and a homogeneous result is obtained.
Step 3. Using a spoon, pour the filling on the pastry, distributing it well on the surface and bake the chess pie
Let it cook for an hour
Step 4. When cooked, take the chess pie out of the oven and place it on a cooling rack
Let it cool for an hour before serving, so the filling will have plenty of time to thicken.
Method 3 of 3: Prepare the shortcrust pastry
Step 1. Get everything you need
To prepare a simple shortcrust pastry you will need a food processor, a rolling pin, a knife to cut the butter, plastic wrap, flour to sprinkle on the surface and a pan with a diameter of 23 cm.
If you don't have a food processor, you can use 2 forks or a hand mixer
Step 2. Use cold butter
It is a very important factor in preparing the dough, as the cold butter creates air pockets that make the shortcrust pastry light and crumbly. Cut the butter into 1.5cm cubes and let them cool in the fridge for at least an hour.
When preparing the shortcrust pastry, the butter can be used cold or even frozen: this is why it must be cut into cubes before putting it in the fridge
Step 3. Mix the dry ingredients and butter
Pour the flour and salt into the food processor, then press the button several times to mix them. Then, add the butter and continue to work the mixture until you get small lumps of butter (about the size of a pea).
If you don't have a food processor, use 2 forks or a hand mixer to mix the butter and flour into small lumps
Step 4. Pour 1 tablespoon of ice water into the dough at a time, running the food processor from time to time
If necessary, add more water.
The dough will be ready when it appears well blended and moist, but not wet
Step 5. Put the dough in the refrigerator
Dust a thin layer of flour on the work surface. Divide the dough into 5 or 6 pieces and lay them on the floured surface. Flatten them with your wrist. This process helps to distribute the butter evenly.
- Gather the pieces and form a ball with the dough. Wrap it with cling film making it adhere well and put it in the fridge.
- Let it cool for at least an hour before using it.
- You can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for later use.
Step 6. Roll out the dough
Once it has cooled, take it out of the fridge and remove the cling film. Flour your work surface and lay the dough on it. Flour the rolling pin too.
- Place the rolling pin in the center of the dough ball. Apply good pressure as you roll the rolling pin forward, pushing the dough outward. Return the rolling pin to the center of the dough and apply good pressure again by rolling it towards you.
- Rotate the dough by a quarter and repeat. Continue until you get a circle with a diameter of about 30 cm.
- If it starts to stick to your work surface or rolling pin as you roll it out, add some flour.
Step 7. Make the shortcrust pastry
Gently lift the dough and place it in a cake pan. Centralize it on the surface and lay it down. Press it gently to make it adhere to the pan.
- Cut off any excess dough that protrudes from the edge of the pan.
- You can decorate it by pressing the prongs of a fork on the edge of the entire circumference.
- Once the dough is shaped, the shortcrust pastry will be ready to be cooked.
