Tuesday 29 March 2011

Thin Chocolate Tart

I delivered a presentation earlier at uni about my dissertation proposal and since my research revolves around food, I felt the right thing to do was to bring food. So, I baked a batch of man brownies and they were very well-received as well as my proposal. I scored my brownie points. Yay!

As I was baking, I received a rather disturbing text from my mom: "Mike, can you please text me your full name and date of birth?". Was this some sort of a test? or has my mother forgotten me? I provided her with the information nonetheless. I still love you mother.

Moving on... I baked this thin chocolate tart on the weekend and I thought of sharing it with you. I normally stay away from making pastry, not because I don't like pastry, I love pastry, but pastry doesn't really like me. I have cold hands which supposedly perfect for making pastry (but a very warm heart if you must know).

This tart is easy to make, including the pastry base, believe me. The tart looks like a giant chocolate digestive biscuit. I totally forgot to take a picture of it when it was still whole. The crumbly biscuit-like base is covered with delicious orangey chocolate sauce. I also added some frangelico (hazelnut liquor) to the topping, and I think I don't need any excuses to add more deliciousness.

Off to the cinema now. Have a good night/morning/afternoon wherever you are.


Thin Chocolate Tart
Recipe by Stéphane Reynaud

200 g plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g caster sugar
50 g ground almonds
1 pinch salt
120 g butter, cubed and softened
1 egg yolk

for the chocolate topping:
1 orange
50 g butter
150 ml pouring (whipping) cream
140 g dark chocolate

Start by making the pastry by sifting the flour, sugar, ground almonds and salt. Add the cubes of butter in stages. Add the egg yolk, work the pastry using your palm to give a crumbly texture. Shape it into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, chill for an hour. Roll the pastry out on a sheet of baking paper to make a very thin circle 2mm thick all over. Cook in a preheated 180 C oven for 10 minutes - the pastry should be a nice golden brown.

For the chocolate topping, zest and juice the orange, add to the butter, cream and chocolate, melt all of these together and coat the tart. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Slice into wedges.

23 comments:

  1. Looks superb! Glad you got brownie points, cute idea

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  2. oh my, this looks DELICIOUS!!!!

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  3. I love a thin tart! Why did your mum need your details. I need to know!

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  4. Congratulations on your dissertation Michael! They must love you in there!
    I laughed so much re your mum's text.... I just KNOW I will send a text like that to my daughter one day!
    Still laughing!

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  5. Why I never... What a hoot, love the 'Man Brownie' and what the.... Your mom? Was she serious? I am digging this little beauty, it's great. :)
    Hope the movie was fun, what'd ya see?

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  6. Congratulations on your proposal :) This tart looks delightful...Strange about your mom thought, oh well my mom texed me a few weeks ago asking for my phone number (she is a bit ditsy)

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  7. Michael, Love this drool worthy chocolaty and adorable thin tart. Thanks for sharing the recipe...a must try!

    Congratulations on your proposal. Funny story about your mom...LOL. I left my cell phone at my son's house, can't call them from my home phone, because I have their # in the contact list, they can't call me either, because they don't have my land-line # and I don't even remember my land line # cause I never use that phone!

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  8. A giant McVities biscuit? Oooh, perhaps you could make another one and then crush it up to make a form of Prince William's fave choc biscuit cake! (Sorry, am a bit obsessed with Widdleton at the mo... and the word verification for this post was 'excesse'. Too perfect!)

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  9. That looks lovely Michael! I love the addition of orange to the chocolate...those flavors are so wonderful together!!
    See, now I know why I have such a hard time with pastry... my hands are always so warm! Wait, does that then mean warm hands cold heart? dang it!! :)

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  10. laughed 'til my stomach giggled at your mum... your man biscuit looks great for all alike... I too like the flavors of the topping and the appealing gooeyness of it all

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  11. Great idea! It works as a distraction too =P

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  12. Thank you all for the comments. All very much appreciated.

    @Dom: My mom's getting the tickets for our family holiday in the summer. She needs some details from me.

    @Anna: My mom was serious. I don't know what happened to her that day.
    I went to see 'Limitless'. Enjoyed it very much.

    @Lucy: I am planning on baking something for the royal wedding. So just wait and see :)

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  13. This sounds and looks delicious. Looking like a giant chocolate digestive has to be a winner for me though. I wonder if a giant jammy dodger might be my ultimate dessert. Well done on the proposal.

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  14. How funny about your mom and so glad to hear you got your brownie points! This tart is definitely a winner too.

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  15. Love the Man Brownies, very funny. But this tart looks wonderful! I'm sure you did well on the proposal, too.

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  16. A little brownie doesn't hurt, right? Pleased your proposal met with approval.
    As does this lovely tart. Nice to have ground almonds in the base and a touch of orange. It looks delicious!
    (Don't worry, I called my son a couple months ago and asked him the same questions. I get the day of his birth mixed up with his brother's!)

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  17. I love Stéphane Reynaud, he's a great chef in French cuisine. The cake looks heavenly delicious.

    I'll let you the details of my itinerary when the time comes.

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  18. Oh my goodness! I laughed so loud when I read about the text message from your mother. What was her excuse?? LOL!

    This tart looks so good. I love the chocolate topping. Great job on scoring 'brownie' points with your brownies! Pun intended??

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  19. The flavors in this sound amazing together! Good going with the man brownies!

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  20. Anything with chocolate dripping off it like that is a winner in my book. And I had to laugh at your mom's question...you were a good son for not giving her too much grief :)

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  21. Your tart looks delicious and I'm glad your presentation went well. Could mom have been playing an April Fool's Day prank? Have a fabulous evening. Blessings...Mary

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  22. Those chocolate tarts of yours definitely look wonderful dear! I think it would really serve as a good food for your dissertation. But, I think it would be better to know how to write a phd dissertation so that you won’t have problems in the long run. Anyway, what happened to your presentation?

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    1. Thanks Sally. The presentation went really well and I received a distinction for my dissertation at the end :)

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