First things first: you can *skip* the making of the dough crust (pâté brisée) and purchase from any number of great brands and this will be a total breeze. We’re providing the complete recipe for those who want to go the distance — because this chocolate tart is a thing of beauty. Maybe you want to master it?
The inspiration: if you were growing up Italian in New York in the 1970s like us, Stella D’Or cookies were a fixture. There was a Swiss fudge variety, and when it showed up in the grocery bag, that was the best. The Swiss fudge cookie was a round cookie base with a pool of chocolate in the center of it. This tart is an “elevated” adult rendition of that pleasure of our youth.
Ingredients
For the Pâte Brisée
- 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- Small pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 pound) all-purpose flour
For the Chocolate Tart
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
Step by step
Make the Pâte Brisée
- Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn on the machine to a low speed and cream them together; if you start with room-temperature butter, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, letting each one be subsumed into the butter-sugar mixture before adding the next.
- With the mixer still running at low speed, add the whole egg and the salt. Once they’ve started to be incorporated, begin adding the flour, in three or four additions. Do not wait for the flour to be completely incorporated before adding more; just give it a few seconds to let it start to get to know the butter. Mix only until the dough has come together into a tacky, fatty, moist mass. It will be a messy beast to handle at this point, but do not overmix it—after a few hours in the fridge, it will be far more manageable.
- Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for as long as possible: 2 or 3 hours is the bare minimum, 4 hours is preferable, overnight is ideal.
- Turn the oven to 325°F. Very, very lightly flour your counter or work surface and have a dish of flour close at hand for when things get sticky. Quickly roll out the chilled dough to a rough 12-inch round that’s a little less than ⅛ inch thick. (The warmer and more worked the dough gets, the stickier it will be. If it’s not rolling right, stop: put it on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer to chill. Have a beer, or take the dog for a walk. After 20 or 30 minutes, the dough will be more compliant. Keeping the butter cold is the key.)
- Using a fluted tart pan, lay the tart dough in, pressing gently to nudge it into the flutes. Bake for 25 minutes, or until it’s lightly colored. Transfer to a rack to cool before filling.
Make the Chocolate Tart
- Put the chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Combine the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Pull the pan from the heat and pour the contents over the chocolate. Let stand for a couple of minutes, then whisk well until the chocolate and cream are homogenized. Add the butter, whisking again until it has become part of the amalgamation.
- Pour the ganache into the tart shell. Put the tart in the fridge and let it sit until the ganache is firm and set and sliceable—at least an hour, probably two. Serve the tart cool or cold, cut into wedges, with a dusting of powdered sugar and a plop of whipped cream.