Desserts: irresistible chocolate! - Chatelaine
Chocolate tart
Photo: Erik Putz
Preparation: 40 minutesCooking: 30 minutesWaiting: 5 hours 15 minutesMakes 10 servings
Pie crust
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and lard. With your fingertips, mix until the preparation has the texture of fine crumbs. Add 4 to 6 tbsp. ice water, and mix until dough comes together and can be formed into a ball – add more water if needed. The dough should not be sticky. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and press to form a disc. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the disc of dough into a circle 33 cm (13 in.) in diameter. Line a 23-cm (9-inch) pie pan with it, pressing the dough into the bottom and up the side, leaving a 2.5-cm (1-inch) border extending all the way around. Fold the border under the edge of the mold and scallop around the pastry. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Place a rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 200°C (400°F).
- Using a fork, prick it in several places over its entire surface. Line the crust with a large sheet of aluminum foil. Cover the bottom with dried beans or baking beads. Bake on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Remove beans and foil and return to oven until pastry is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Prepare the chocolate pudding (see recipe below) until the end of step 2. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the crust. Cover with plastic wrap, laying it directly over the chocolate filling – this will prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. Before serving, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Filling
Chocolate Pudding
Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes Waiting: 3 hours
- Pour 625 ml (2 1/2 cups) of milk into a saucepan. Add sugar and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and bubbles start to form on side of pan, about 5 minutes. Stir in chocolate, stirring constantly, until melted, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cocoa, cornstarch and 125 ml (1/2 cup) of milk. Whisking constantly, quickly incorporate a third of the hot chocolate mixture. Pour this mixture into the saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Simmer until mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla.
- Transfer mixture to a large, shallow bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, laying it directly over the pudding – this will prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Remove plastic wrap and stir gently before serving in ramekins.
Variant
For a milk chocolate pudding, replace the dark chocolate with milk chocolate. Decrease the amount of sugar to 80 ml (1/3 cup), increase the amount of salt to 1/2 tsp. and 80 ml (1/3 cup) cornstarch. Makes 875 ml (3 1/2 cups).
Decoration
Soft double chocolate cookies
Preparation: 20 minutesCooking: 20 minutes (2 batches)Makes 26 cookies
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture triple in volume, 10 to 12 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla.
- Simmer 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water in a large saucepan and place a large glass bowl or a large bowl over it. Melt chocolate chips, dark chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- Incorporate a third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, folding gently until there are no more visible streaks. Fold in the rest of the egg mixture. Sift dry ingredients over chocolate mixture and fold in until smooth.
- Put in 1 tsp portions. tablespoons of dough and place them on the baking sheets, spacing them 2.5 cm (1 in.). Two batches are required. Bake until cookies are puffed and cracked on top, 9 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if desired, and let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to racks. Repeat with remaining dough.
Black Forest Trifle
Preparation: 15 minutesCooking: 10 minutesWaiting: 4 hoursMakes 16 servings
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherries with their juice and the sugar. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into 2 Tbsp. of water, then add it to the cherries. Heat, stirring, until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the kirsch. Transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
- Drain cherries. Reserve half of the liquid in a small bowl. Place the cherries and the other half of the liquid in the bottom of a 3 liter (12 cup) trifle pan.
- In a large bowl, using a electric mixer, beat the 35% cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.
- In another bowl, place the Devon cream and stir in the melted chocolate.
- Arrange half of the cookies over the cherries in the trifle mold. Cover with chocolate Devon cream. Spread the rest of the cookies on top, then the 35% cream and sour cream mixture to finish. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours, or overnight. Garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve with reserved cherry juice.
Note
You can find this cream of English origin, very rich, which contains some 50% fat, in some delicatessens.
FILED UNDER: Black Forest TrifleSoft Double Chocolate CookiesChocolate Milk ChocolateDessertsMagazine March/April 2018Chocolate PuddingChocolate Tart
