The Amateur Chef

So here it is, this is our first recipe for creating our website. This was an after thought in regards to documenting the process. But I will say that this tart is delicious, and really help peak our interest in continuing our love for food and further documenting our trials and failures.  Back to the Tart, getting back to wanting to start a food blog we really wanted to start of with something nice. Our downfall is that we really didn’t know the process of cooking and photographing process. Now if you thought cooking was a time consuming process, try taking 30 pictures in-between each stage in an attempt to get that perfect picture to place on your blog. I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as well as the other recipes to follow.

Chocolate Truffle Tart

For this recipe I believe that the biggest hurdle seems to be finding the proper pan size. Most of the pan sizes that you will have in your home or even the premade cookie pans are 9-inch and not the 8-inch in which the recipe requires. Here are two options which can solve this problem. The first option is increasing the proportions by 50% and use the 9-inch pan. But please keep in mind this is a very dense sweet tart and unless you are making this for at least 10 people, or enjoy eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The second option is just using the larger 9-inch pan and uses the ingredients for the 8-inch pan and deal with a little thinner tart and more crust around the top. If you choose the second option you will need to reduce the baking time and would start checking it out around 10-15 min. Also remember you want to stop baking when the edges are puffy but the center of the tart looks a little wobbly. Taking the tart out at this time will give the tart a pudding-esk texture.

For crust

• 28 chocolate wafers such as Nabisco Famous, finely ground in a food processor (1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled completely

For filling

• 1/2 lb fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), coarsely chopped
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Special equipment: an 8-inch (20-cm) round springform pan
• Garnish: unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling

Make crust:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap a sheet of foil over bottom of springform pan (in case of leaks). Lightly butter side of pan.
• Stir together ground wafers and butter in a bowl until combined, then pat mixture evenly onto bottom of pan and 1 1/2 inches up side. Bake until crust is slightly puffed, about 10 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 15 minutes. Leave oven on.

Make filling while crust cools:

• Melt chocolate and butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth, then remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
• Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until combined well.

Assemble and bake tart:

• Pour filling into cooled crust and rap pan once on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until filling 1 inch from edge is set and slightly puffed but center trembles slightly when pan is gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as it cools.)
• Cool tart completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Chill, uncovered, until center is firm, about 4 hours. Remove side of pan and sprinkle with cocoa to serve.

Cooks’ notes:

• Tart can be chilled up to 3 days. Cover loosely after tart is completely chilled (covering before may cause condensation).
• Crust, without filling, can be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.