Flo’s Chocoloco Tart

I think my daughter Flo (14) should become a chocolatier one day. She’s already a connoisseur: she notes down her tasting experiences of chocolate in a little notebook and she is very precise when it comes to making chocolate desserts. When we lived in the US she had her own blog about chocolate (click here) with the most beautiful recipes. Unfortunately, she stopped blogging. Every once in while I try to encourage her to pick up where she left off, but she’s too busy with other things.

Last weekend a couple of her friends came over for dinner so she created this pretty tart. I admit, I helped her a little. It’s velvety smooth and intensely chocolaty. It was such a success that she immediately baked it again (hence the two different pies in the pictures). As long as she can’t blog about it herself, I’ll do it for her. It’s too beautiful not to share.

Serves 8-10
Action Time: 35 minutes + 20 minutes oven time + 2 hours cooling

For the tart shell:
8 oz/225 g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp fine sugar
1 stick/8 tbsp/115 g cold unsalted butter, diced
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the filling:
8.5 fl oz/250 ml heavy cream
10.5 oz/300 g dark chocolate (min 70%), chopped
5 tbsp/75 g unsalted butter, diced
3 tbsp fine sugar
1.5 fl oz/45 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or the zest of ½ small organic orange
1.5 oz/45 g white chocolate, chopped

Extra: food processor (optional), cling film, greased about 9.5 inch/24 cm tart pan with a removable bottom, parchment paper, pie weights or dried beans, decoration pen for chocolate

1. For the tart shell, put flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (or use a food processor). Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp cold water and knead briefly until the dough comes together. Gather the ball into a thick ‘sausage’, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Cut the dough sausage into 1/8 inch (3-4 mm) thick slices. Place the slices in and around the bottom and sides of the tart pan; push and press them together with your fingers until the whole pan is covered. Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with the pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes in the oven, remove parchment paper en pie weights and bake for about 5 minutes more or until de crust is golden but not too brown; gently pierce with a fork if the bottom starts to puff up. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

3. To make the filling, heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan until it just starts to boil. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt and whisk until melted and well incorporated. Slowly add the milk and stir until completely blended and until the mixture is soft and shiny. Mix in the vanilla or orange zest. Pour the filling with care into the tart shell.

4. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler (or use the microwave). Fill the decorating pen with the white chocolate and make a white chocolate spiral on top of the chocolate filling (see picture). Use a skewer in order to create a flower figure on top of the filling. Divide the circles created on the filling in eight segments by drawing lines with the skewer; alternating the direction of the lines. (See first picture).

5. Let cool completely until set (this will take about 2 hours). If the filling doesn’t set fast enough you can put the tart in the fridge, but remove it 30 minutes before serving. Cut it into wedges and enjoy!