The Best Chocolate Tart

Preparation time: 2 hours + 4-8 hours chilling time | Serves: 6 people

One of the greatest pleasures in life is a well made chocolate tart. There’s something about a rich, almost mousse like layer of chocolate paired with the buttery contrast of a biscuity, golden crumb that just feels so right. This baked chocolate tart is no different, with a shortbread base and a luxe dark chocolate filling. While this recipe isn’t complicated, it requires a lot of patience, but trust me, it’s completely worth the wait.

What makes this recipe special -
Personally I prefer the texture of a baked chocolate tart rather than a set one. The filling is essentially a very rich chocolate ganache, transformed into a deeply fudgy, dense centre with the addition of an egg. I also like to add a tablespoon of tahini to my shortbread base for a nutty, almost savoury flavour, and it pairs so wonderfully with chocolate.

How to serve this chocolate tart -
The suggested servings for this tart are 6 people because it's so incredibly rich - a large slice will definitely knock you out (you’ll probably have the best sleep of your life), but if you’re making it for a bit of self indulgence, I highly recommend pairing it with a nip of cognac for a devious little treat.

As always, my tips, tricks and suggestions are in the recipe notes below.

Ingredients

For the base

• 50 gms softened butter

• 1 tbsp. tahini (optional) (if not using, then use 80 gms of butter instead)

• 25 gms brown sugar

• 150 gms flour

• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder (optional)

• 1 egg yolk

• Big pinch of sea salt

For the filling

• 235 mls heavy cream

• 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. good quality vanilla essence)

• 200 gms dark chocolate

• 1 egg

• Sea salt and cocoa powder, to serve

Method

1. Cream butter, tahini, and sugar until fluffy. Mix in flour, then add egg yolk and salt. The dough will be clumpy and sandy in texture.

2. Gather dough into a ball using cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Butter a 20 cm pie tin, then press pieces of dough evenly to form the base (extra dough can be frozen for later use.)

4. Chill for another 20-30 minutes in the freezer, then bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes until golden and dry.

5. Place chocolate chunks in a medium bowl.

6. Heat cream with vanilla seeds and pod (if using) until simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let stand for 10-12 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

7. Allow to cool slightly before adding the egg and whisking to combine.

8. Pour into the baked tart base and tap gently to remove any air bubbles.

9. Bake for 18-20 minutes until just set (it shouldn't wobble when shaken).

10. Cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

11. Before serving, dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle with sea salt.

RECIPE NOTES

Swaps, Serves & Storage

1. Can I use milk chocolate for this recipe?
   Milk chocolate can be used instead of dark chocolate for this recipe, however it will be much sweeter. I would recommend adding a pinch of salt to the filling to balance the sweetness.

2. What do I serve with this tart?
   This baked chocolate tart is a true chocolate lovers paradise. It’s so rich that I would recommend serving it just by itself (with the cocoa powder and salt). If you are looking to elevate it further, I would suggest fresh raspberries or strawberries to cut through the richness. A generous pour of salted caramel will also not go awry.

3. What temperature should I serve the tart at?
   For a dense, fudgy texture serve the tart straight from the refrigerator. For a creamy, mousse like texture, keep it at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. However you serve it, I recommend dipping a sharp knife in hot water for clean slices.

4. How long can I store this tart?
   The tart can be stored in an air tight container for up to 4 days (if it lasts that long).

Tips & Tricks

1. Good quality chocolate - I love dark chocolate and prefer anything in the 70-80% mark. If you find that too sweet, look for cooking chocolate in the 50-60% range. I also recommend using the best quality chocolate you can find, but also understand this can sometimes be expensive. Truth be told, sometimes a block of supermarket dark chocolate will do the trick - like this one from Aldi.

2. The crust - Temperatures matter when it comes to working with anything pastry-like. This shortbread crust is no different, so try to keep it chilled when assembling. If it’s too dry, add a splash of ice cold water while mixing. Refrigerating before baking is an important step and will stop your crust from shrinking.

This recipe was inspired by Once Upon A Chef with Jenn Segal.