This sinful confection is one of my favorite desserts that I have ever made. It's rich, bold, and satisfying but doesn't leave you feeling bogged down by an overload of sugar. It comes together easily, doesn't require any special skills, and would be an impressive addition to your holiday gatherings this year.
This tart... oh my goodness. It's a chocolate lover's dream come true. With three varieties of chocolate in a multitude of textures and only ¼ cup of sugar in the entire tart, you get a wonderful combination of rich chocolate flavors without it being overly sweet.
The chocolate shortbread crust is buttery perfection - the perfect balance between a crumbly cookie crust and a sturdier classic dough. It has just enough salt to enhance the flavor of the cocoa, but not so much that it's overpowering. The best part is that you don't have to pre-bake, so you can add your filling to the raw crust and bake everything at once.
The tart is topped with creamy bittersweet ganache and garnished with coarse sea salt. I want to marry whoever decided to pair sea salt with chocolate, particularly bitter or dark chocolate. The salt suppresses the bitterness on the tongue and creates a flavor combination in your mouth that is nothing short of magical.
Enjoy. We sure did!
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Triple Chocolate Salted Tart
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ mounded tsp salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into large chunks
- FOR THE FILLING:
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (can also use chips)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (can also use chips)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- FOR THE CRUST
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt.
- Pulse a couple of times to combine.
- Add cold butter pieces to the food processor. Pulse until mixture is "sandy" and dark and butter fully incorporated.
- Dump crumb mixture into a 9-inch tart pan.
- Press firmly into an even layer across the bottom and up the sides of pan. Chill the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
- FOR THE FILLING
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Pour the ¼ cup heavy cream into a heavy bottom pot on medium heat until the cream is steaming and just starting to simmer.
- Remove from heat and add the semi-sweet chocolate.
- Allow to sit for 15 seconds and then whisk to combine until chocolate is completely melted. Return to heat temporarily if you have extra pieces of chocolate that need to melt.
- Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the filling mixture into the tart shell and bake for 22-25 minutes until the top is set.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for about half an hour.
- FOR THE TOPPING
- Pour the 1 cup heavy cream into a heavy bottom pot on medium heat until the cream is steaming and just starting to simmer.
- Remove from heat and add the bittersweet chocolate.
- Allow to stand for 15 seconds and then whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
- Pour ganache topping onto the cooled tart and use a nonstick spatula to spread it around evenly.
- Refrigerate tart for 3-4 hours or overnight. Garnish with sea salt before serving.
- Tart is easiest to cut when it is allowed to sit on the counter for 15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
You may use any brand of chocolate that you like. I use Valrhona dutch process cocoa, Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks), and Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips.
This is a very rich and decadent tart. Small slices go a long way!
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