Chocolate Raspberry Tart

I wanted to tell you all how dangerous dating can be- especially if you happen to be a teenager who enjoys record hops. Apparently it can be lethal (most notably in Texas as can be seen from this live footage from last week). Think of this as my PSA for the day and let this be a warning to you...

So, instead of going out on Valentine's Day (on a "date"), you should stay in and have a bunch of people over as in- "Hey, it's Valentine's Day. Let's have a group dinner because it's a lot more fun anyway."

This dessert looks really fancy, but in my opinion it's actually pretty easy to make. It just takes a little time. Also, although it officially says it serves 8 it could very easily go for 12 in my opinion. And if you're concerned about your New Year's resolutions after this, go out for a run.

The recipe actually came from amazon.com a while ago, but I just recently pulled it out to give it a try. I was browsing cookbooks and there were some "exclusive" recipes that went with Pastry: Savory & Sweet by Michel Roux. No, I did not end up buying the book. I've sort of stopped buying cookbooks- for now, anyway.

The recipe for pate sucree (crust) makes double what you need. And so, you'll have a second one in the fridge or freezer when you need it. It's like money in the bank.

The other thing is that my tart pan is actually 9 inches, and things have turned out fine each time I've made it.

If you are unaware of "blind baking" technique you need to have dried beans or pie weights as well as some foil or parchment paper. Place the foil in the unbaked crust, pour in the beans, and bake. Remove according to the recipe, etc. You can save the beans for future pie and tart shells. It is not recommended to try to eat them though- I think they're pretty much destroyed by the heat in the oven and would be awful to eat.

You definitely don't NEED the mint- you could just go with the raspberries OR save the mint for garnishing. I think I actually would prefer it sans mint... with mint reserved for garnish.

Oh, and I don't plan on just doing sweets on this blog! Maybe I'm on this kick because it's just the season for things like this?

Chocolate and Raspberry Tart
Serves 8

9 oz pâte sucrée

2 cups (250g) raspberries
3/4oz (20g) mint leaves, finely snipped

chocolate ganache:
scant 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
7 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate, 60– 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped
1 oz (2T) light corn syrup
4 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

Roll out the dough to a circle, 1/16 inch thick, and use to line a greased 8-inch diameter (1-inch/2.5-cm deep) tart ring. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Prick the base of the pastry shell. Bake the shell blind, for 20 minutes. Lower the oven setting to 350ºF/ 180ºC, remove the beans and paper, and bake the pastry shell for another 5 minutes. Place on a wire rack, lift off the ring, and leave the tart shell until cold. Set aside 24 of the best raspberries. Halve the rest, delicately mix with the snipped mint, and spread evenly in the pastry shell.

For the chocolate ganache, bring the cream to a boil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Take off the heat, add the chocolate and corn syrup, and mix with a whisk to a very smooth cream. Still whisking, incorporate the butter, a piece at a time.

Pour the ganache over the halved raspberries to fill the pastry shell. Set aside until cold, then chill the tart for at least 2 hours before serving.

Use a very sharp knife dipped in very hot water and wiped dry to cut each slice. Place the tart slices on individual plates with the reserved raspberries. Serve cold, but not straight from the refrigerator.

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Pate Sucree (makes about 1 lb, 3 oz)

1 3/4 c flour
8 T butter, cubed and slightly softened
1 c confectioners sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs, room temperature

Mix together and place flour, sugar, and salt on counter in a mound. Work butter in with fingers (drawing flour mixture in until grainy). Make a well in center and add eggs. Work eggs into flour using fingertips until it begins to hold together. Knead a few times with palm until smooth. Split dough into two pieces, roll into balls and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before using (roll out to 1/8-1/16 inch thickness on floured surface and use per recipe).