Sweet & Savory

Chocolate & Confiture Tart

It turned out that the quantity of Hazelnut Sweet Shortcrust Pastry I had made was a bit more than was needed for the 9" square fluted pan. So, I did what any person would do, I made a few extra tartlets. This allowed me to use some new fluted tartlet tins that I recently purchased. Although these did not have the convenience of lift-out bottoms, they did claim to be nonstick, so I gave them a try. As soon as I slid the crusts into the oven, I started making the filling.

The smell of chocolate wafted up to me as I stirred to melt it in heated heavy cream, forming a chocolatey lake. I used heavy cream in place of the single or pouring cream called for by the recipe only because that was what I had on hand. When I later combined the chocolate-cream with the seven whipped egg yolks, I realized just how rich this filling was going to be. Thick ropes of batter clung to my whisk as I pushed it through the now chocolatey swamp. The guilt began to build again, just as sure as the drool began to form in my mouth.

My conscience got the better of me and left me with no choice but to come up with a way to feel better about consuming this sinful dessert! By the time the crusts were done baking to a golden color, I had my plan formulated. Rummaging through the fridge, I found what I was looking for - a jar of black currant jam, still two-thirds full, leftover from some other culinary adventure. I spread a thin layer of this chunky confiture in the bottom of the square hazelnut shortcrust. I did the same with some adriatic fig spread and some strawberry jam to the two extra tartlet shortcrusts I had baked. Then, I ladled the chocolate filling into each crust, making sure to fill it up as high as possible, for I wouldn't want to any of the chocolate to go to waste!

Try as I might, I simply could not get all of the chocolate soup to fit in the crusts. Once again, I was not going to just throw it out. Grabbing a few ramekins, I filled them with the remaining filling and decided to make some impromptu pots de crèmes.

Finally, into the oven everything went. I kept testing the surface for firmness - a sign to indicate the filling had set properly, and found that my baking times were much longer than the original recipe - I think that it might be due to steam from the layer of confiture at beneath the chocolate. This also caused small craters to form in the surface of the chocolate as the bubbles of steam rose to the top and popped. This resulted in a slightly-less-than-perfect-looking chocolate tart, but it tasted great all the same! The one with the adriatic fig spread was the favorite for both J and myself. Its texture was just right - not as runny as the black currant jam and not as stiff as the strawberry. Next time, we'll be sure to make a larger tart with the fig.

The impromptu pots de crèmes also turned out well. I had to leave them in the oven, turned off, overnight to dry them out. The end result - a few spoonfuls of heaven in each ramekin. This, alongside a healthy slice of the tart, was more than satisfactory for any chocolate craving.

Chocolate & Confiture Tart
adapted from Modern Classics 2
by Donna Hay

Serves 10-12

• 1 quantity hazelnut sweet shortcrust pastry, rolled and baked
• 7 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
• 2-1/3 cups (18½ fl oz) heavy whipping cream
• 200 g (7 oz) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup confiture of choice

Set the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F). Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, bring just to the boil and remove from the heat. Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate-cream over the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine.

Spread the confiture in a thin layer on the baked shortcrust shell. Pour the chocolate filling over the confiture and bake for 30-35 minutes or until just set. Cool completely before serving with thick (double) cream and berries if desired.