Tuesday, April 28, 2009

TWD - Chocolate Cream Tart


Did you hear it? 

The sigh of bliss from all the chocolate loving Tuesdays with Dorie bakers?

This tart brought on the rapture...

Dorie, I love you. Sigh.

Where was I?

This week's recipe was brought to you by Kim of Scrumptious Photography. Kim, I love you, too. I love pretty much everyone after a slice of the tart you selected for us this week.

It was easy to make, especially if you THOROUGHLY read the directions and then followed them. I forgot to do that, so making this tart stretched from the afternoon into the evening and now I'm reporting to all of you at 10 PM. I still have a pile of dishes to attack (more on that later), but I am one fat and happy camper after helping myself to a slice of this tart so I could tell you about it. It was a sacrifice, but one I was willing to make. Now that I've tasted it, I know this tart will be gone in the blink of an eye after I put it out at work. It's not eye candy, but it is the chocolate lover's dream. Perfection. 

I did have a few bumps making it. I initially planned to cut the recipe in half, but after I dumped in the butter, I realized I had forgotten to cut the butter in half. I didn't read the recipe well enough and didn't realize I had to bake the tart shell (after a lifetime of making tart shells, what was I thinking??) First, I had to freeze it, then bake it, then let it cool. Then make the custard, add the melted chocolate (I used Valrhona 61%) and let it cool. Then whip the cream. Then shave some chocolate, try to get a decent photo, eat the subject of the photo, and here I am. Incoherent, but here.

I thought last week's chocolate bread pudding was amazing. Tonight I can hardly remember why I thought that bread pudding was so good because this tart is so rich, so sophisticatedly chocolaty, it's totally captured my heart.

Since I can't seem to put together a coherent sentence, let me just show you a few pictures and then give you the dish count.

The time to remember you're cutting the recipe in half is before you dust the cold butter cubes with the cocoa/flour mixture. Revert to plan B: making the full recipe.


Strain your custard before cooking it. These little yolk bits will interfere with your tart eating pleasure.



The cream cooling in the bowl. Perfect time for a quality control taste. I stressed out a little about the not-velvety texture of my chocolate pastry cream, but I didn't need to worry.



Make sure you leave a little of the cream in the bowl just in case you need another taste.




Oh no. There's a crumb. Quick, eat it.



Much better.



The body count:
Food processor (bowl, blade, lid)
Knife to cut up butter
Several spoons
2 ramekins for egg yolks (plus another for the unused egg whites)
Plastic cutting board to lightly knead the crust
Tart pan
2 whisks
2 spatulas
1 tiny spatula (to get the egg out of the ramekin)
Pan to heat milk
Small plate to rest whisks, spoons, knives, etc. on
Bowl to melt chocolate in
Pan to make custard in 
Strainer (for custard)
Mini strainer (for sifting cornstarch)
3 measuring cups 
Bowl to whip cream in
Beaters from electric mixer (no way I'm getting the KA out to whip 1/2 cup of cream!)
set of measuring spoons
Microplane to grate chocolate
Offset spatula to spread whipped cream

I would do it again in a moment. 

35 comments:

Unknown said...

I can not sleep, so it was extra great having a good blog to read! Great job. I hope I can make mine some time today. Time got away from me, plus we had endless thunderstorm that kept me from the store! Nice tart, really.

Marthe said...

Me too!! I'll defintely be making this again!!

Amanda said...

HAHAHA! Love your post, too funny. Glad you loved it, I did too! It was amazing

Jessica said...

I love being quality control -- tasting along the way to ensure quality is the best part of the job. I'm so glad that you liked this tart. I thought it was fantastic, too.

spike. said...

I long day of baking but the pie was worth it!

Anonymous said...

Oh, strain your custard before cooking it. Got it! I'm a baking noob and kept wondering what people meant by strain the custard (I tried AFTER cooking it - um, yeah...).
Looks fabulous! Glad you liked it!

chocolatechic said...

Yikes....that is a huge body count.

But the end result...so worth it.

Anne said...

Yeah I totally know what you mean about the body count. And it being worth it. Your tart looks DELICIOUS! :)

Craving Ellie in My Belly said...

You were being overrun by dishes! That tart looks sooo good. I wish I had made some time to try it out now.

Kayte said...

I love the body count! LOL. Your tart looks amazing...half a recipe was just NOT meant to be for this...it was a big hit here with the guys. It's not yet gone, and I have requests to make it again. I would say that was a pretty resounding success. Your tart looks lovely. Such fun to read when someone LOVES the end product so much!
Kayte
www.grandmaskitchentable.typepad.com

Kimberly Johnson said...

Your tart looks fantastic! Glad you liked it so much!

PheMom said...

I'm glad you loved it too! Your tart looks great!

Sihan said...

haha. I love the part about eating the crumb off the plate for a better shot. I do confess to that kind of behaviour sometimes as well. Anyway, Great shots and I'm glad you love the tart!

Welcome to our crazy blessed life said...

That is one heck of a lot of dishes woman! Glad you ate the crumb it was so distracting in the photo! Haha!! :) J/K. Love your commentary on this, looks delicious!

vibi said...

I'm sorry for sending my last comment to your sister... (still, hope she enjoyed it! LOL)

But for today, I'm in the right place, at the right time, hopefully! lol

Very nice take on the tart... and very cool post! Yikes!

Pamela said...

So...you hated it, right?? ;o) I know it's tough making and EATING these desserts, all in the name of TWD. The things we have to do! Hope you didn't stay up too late doing those dishes!

Beryl said...

So what your saying is you liked it? There is a certain kind of happiness only chocolate can provide.

Cathy said...

Oh yeah - this one was so worth the pain, dishes, etc. It's funny how a dessert like this can make other, previously wonderful desserts seem inferior in an instance. I am so glad that you enjoyed this - it looks great!

Kara said...

Hee hee! It's always good to leave enough for taste testing in the bowl. I mean, doesn't Gordon Ramsay yell at his chefs for not tasting their dishes before they serve them? :)

dharmagirl said...

i'm right there with you. this recipe is worth every moment of stress and every dirty dish. ahh, the smooth custard, the crunchy crust, the cool whipped cream.

i have one more piece left. i must go eat it now:)

What's for Supper? said...

Cute post. I also love those polka dot plates you have.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

I made this before the chocolate bread pudding, and yeah, not a very fair comparison. Tasting and quality control are very important steps in food blogging. At least that's my assumption. The sink of dishes was staggering.
Nancy

margot said...

Tasting is essential, especially when it is delicious chocolate custard. Your body count made me happy I divided up the various components of the tart, it always convinces me think a recipe is a lot easier.

Anonymous said...

Glad you liked it!! We really did too. I feel my "body count" with dishes & bowls was much lower than most ppl's .. not sure why!

Hindy said...

Great post. Chocolate rules! But what a body count.

Megan said...

Oh yeah - you wouldn't have to ask me twice to make this again. It was a chocolate-lovers dream!

Piggy said...

LOL, I eat the crumbs or any stray bits from the plates before I take pics too! Great looking tart, glad that you enjoyed it!

TeaLady said...

It was probably fate that made you do the whole recipe. Cause secretly you knew you would love it.

Heather said...

A lovely looking creamy, chocolatey tart. You enjoyed eating while baking didn't you! I always do that.

Linda said...

I was part of the collective TWD sigh swooning over this dessert.

The effort to make this tart is definitely worth it... yours looks totally delicious!!!

Anonymous said...

The dishes are a pain but it WAS worth it. I love that you counted them.

Cakelaw said...

LOL - I am glad that it was so good it left you speechless. I am not brave enough to count my "bodies" - it's easier if I just pretend they aren't there and watch TV while I do the washing up.

Michele said...

Your tart looks lovely! I especially like that you list all the equipment needed!

Unknown said...

Haha it did make a ton of dishes, didn't it? I'm glad you liked it so much. The bittersweet chocolate was a bit much for me but I suspect I'd love it with some milk chocolate instead!

AmyRuth said...

he he he loved the "count." Thats amazingly entertaining. Your blissful report of your affection for this tart is totally endearing.

PS I liked the photo of the cocoa dusted butter. Very cute.

Great job, Leslie
AmyRuth