1. CHOCOLATE
RASPBERRY TART
Unlike my much-belated strawberry shortcake post earlier this week, I was
determined to get this gourmet food recipe posted while it's still raspberry
season.
Last weekend, we spent a glorious morning (finally, some sunshine!) picking red
and yellow raspberries at Greig Farm in Red Hook.
2. The raspberry bushes are up on a small hill and there was a lovely breeze that
kept the clear, sparkling day from feeling too hot. And there's a nice pastoral view
of the farm from up there, too. I'm a sucker for farmland so I drank in this view
with real pleasure.
The raspberry bushes, themselves, did not look so hot. And no wonder, as there
were a surprising number of Japanese beetles making themselves right at home
on them, eating lacy patterns into the leaves. However, noxious their presence, I
took it as a reassuring sign that Greig obviously does not spray much - good news
for us since we ate a lot of berries while we picked. In fact, I've since heard that
Greig has not sprayed at all this season -- good for them! (and good for the
beetles, too, unfortunately...)
3. Despite the ravages of the Japanese beetles, we managed to pick plenty of berries
before Will insisted on leaving. And they were mighty tasty, too.
When we got home, we rinsed them all and froze half our haul to use this winter
in waffles, smoothies and sauces. I set the other half aside while I began
concocting this glorious dessert.
4. I was excited to finally be putting the French tart tin I'd purchased shortly
after my friend Peter's inspirational class on pastry many months ago to some use
-- a fitting maiden voyage.
I'd been inspired by the addition of a raspberry purée in The Busty Baker's lovely-
looking recipe so while I blind-baked the shortbread tart crust I'd just prepared, I
cooked up a quick raspberry jam on the stovetop with a bunch of berries, some
sugar, lemon juice and a little jot of triple sec.
5. When the tart shell was finished baking, I poured the jam right into the shell along
with the warm chocolate mixture. It looked pretty psychedelic. Kind of like a new
planet in the making or something (oh, to live on a planet made of chocolate and
raspberries...)
Then into the oven for a little while. When it came out, I thought it looked pretty
boss. I let it cool for a while before removing the rim.
6. Then I cut a piece, added some fresh berries and devoured it (well, in reality, I
took a whole bunch of pictures and then I devoured it.)
It does not take a genius to guess that anything involving fresh raspberries,
bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream and copious amounts of buttery crust is
gonna be good. But even so, I was still surprised by just how delicious it was --
short, flaky crust, topped with a mixture of smooth, rich chocolate and tangy,
sweet raspberry jam. It was even worth the cleanup...
7. Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Ingredients
Shortbread Dough:
* 2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
* 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 Tbps (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
* 2 large egg yolks
Filling:
* 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (if you can find bittersweet chips, it
will save you the trouble of chopping!)
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup raspberry puree or jam*
Toppings (optional):
* Fresh raspberries
* Whipped cream
8. Directions
1. Make Tart Dough: In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and
salt. Pulse to blend. Add the butter, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse
meal and the pieces of butter are roughly the size of peas. Add the egg mixture
and pulse until dough comes together. If the dough is dry, add ice water a
tablespoon at a time. (Alternately, you can mix by hand, cutting the butter in with
a pastry blender, and mixing the egg mixture in with a fork until it comes
together.)
2. Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured work surface, pat into a ball, and
flatten into a disk. If the dough is too sticky to work with, it can be refrigerated for
anywhere between 30 minutes and two days - just keep it well wrapped up. Once
it's workable, use a lightly floured rolling pin and roll the dough, making a quarter
turn after each roll, until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick and 2 to 3 inches wider
than your tart pan. Roll the round loosely around the rolling pin and unroll over
the tart pan. Press dough into the sides of the pan and trim off the extra scraps.
(Just roll your rolling pin over the top of the pan for easy trimming.) Alternately,
transfer the dough directly from the bowl into the tart pan, pressing the dough
into the pan and up the sides with your hands. Work quickly to keep the dough
from getting too warm.
3. With the rack in the lower third of the oven, preheat the oven to 375F. Place
the tart tin on a cookie sheet and use the tines of a fork to poke holes evenly
throughout the dough to prevent it from bubbling up while it bakes (or you can
use pie weights if you've got 'em - I don't have any), and bake for 18-22 minutes
until the shell is a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the
inside with the a wash made from the yolk of one egg and a pinch of salt - this will
help seal the crust from getting soggy when you fill it. Return to the oven and
bake until the glaze is set, 2-3 minutes longer.
4. Make Raspberry Puree: Place one pint of rinsed fresh raspberries, along with 1
tablespoon sugar and one teaspoon lemon juice in a small saucepan - you can also
add a splash of liquor if you like. Cook over medium heat, stirring often and
crushing the berries with a wooden spoon. Once they've broken down some, add
9. a teaspoon or two of cornstarch and cook, stirring often, until the mixture
thickens.You could also substitute raspberry jam if this sounds like too much
effort.
5. Make Chocolate Filling: In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over
medium to low heat. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir
until smooth and creamy, then whisk in the egg and stir again until smooth.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pre-baked tart shell and add the raspberry
puree or jam evenly. Bake until the center seems set but it still a little quivery
when the pan is nudged - 15-18 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm
or at room temperature. It's best the same day it's baked though still tastes good
after being refrigerated.
Source: http://gardenofeatingblog.blogspot.ca/2011/07/chocolate-raspberry-tart.html