Bon Appetit Desserts (83 page)

FILLING
: Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates; whisk until melted. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until smooth between additions. Whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pour filling into crust. Chill until filling begins to set, 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange nuts in concentric circles atop tart. Chill until set, about 4 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with foil and keep chilled.

Serve tart with whipped cream.

Chocolate-Raspberry Tart

For an extra hit of fruit flavor, the crust is spread with a little raspberry jam midway through baking. To create a glistening raspberry topping, skip the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and brush the berries with warm raspberry jam instead.
6 servings

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1½ tablespoons (or more) ice water

1 large egg yolk

6 tablespoons raspberry jam

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

2½-pint containers raspberries

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder

CRUST
: Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1½ tablespoons ice water and egg yolk; mix in with fork until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into rectangle. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.

Butter and flour 13¾×4-inch rectangular tart pan with 1-inch-high sides and removable bottom. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to 15×6-inch rectangle. Peel off 1 sheet of waxed paper. Invert dough into prepared pan; peel off second sheet of waxed paper. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan, trimming edges if needed. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue to bake until crust just begins to darken around edges, piercing with toothpick if crust bubbles, about 12 minutes longer. Remove from oven; maintain oven temperature. Spread jam over bottom of crust. Bake until jam is set, about 3 minutes. Transfer tart in pan to rack; cool crust completely.

FILLING
: Bring cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer chocolate ganache to bowl and refrigerate until chilled but not firm, about 45 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat ganache until very thick and semi-firm. Spread ganache over jam in crust.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 8 hours ahead. Refrigerate.

Arrange raspberries atop ganache, rounded side up. Stir powdered sugar and cocoa in bowl. Sift over tart.

Mocha Custard Tart

Cream cheese gives the custard a luxurious texture. The tart needs to chill overnight, so be sure to start this recipe a day ahead. Look for chocolate-covered coffee bean candies at some supermarkets, and at candy shops and specialty foods stores.
12 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies

½ cup walnuts

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups heavy whipping cream

¾ cup whole milk

⅓ cup water

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

2 tablespoons chocolate liqueur (such as dark crème de cacao)

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 8-ounce package Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 extra-large eggs

2 extra-large egg yolks

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or coffee powder

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate-covered coffee bean candies (optional)

CRUST
: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Wrap outside of pan tightly with triple layer of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind cookies and walnuts in processor. Add melted butter; process to blend. Press mixture firmly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Chill crust while making filling.

FILLING
: Bring cream, milk, and ⅓ cup water to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk in cocoa powder, chocolate liqueur, espresso powder, and vanilla.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Add whole eggs 1 at a time, then egg yolks, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add hot cream mixture and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.

Bake tart until custard moves just slightly in center when pan is gently shaken and tester inserted into center comes out with some custard still attached, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove pan from water; remove foil. Cool tart in pan on rack. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

GANACHE
: Bring cream, espresso powder, corn syrup, and oil to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let ganache stand until slightly cooled but still pourable, about 10 minutes.

Run small knife around pan sides to loosen tart. Remove pan sides. Place tart on platter. Pour ganache atop tart. Using thin metal spatula, spread ganache evenly over top of tart, being careful not to allow ganache to drip down sides. Let ganache set 15 minutes. Using icing comb or tines of fork, make decorative concentric circles in wave pattern in ganache. Garnish top of tart with chocolate-covered coffee bean candies, if desired. Refrigerate until ganache is softly set, about 15 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Toasted Pecan Crust

Ganache is a French pastry term for a rich chocolate filling or icing—it’s generally a simple mixture of dark chocolate and cream. Don’t use chocolate that has more than 61% cacao, as the results will be too firm and bitter. You can use toasted hazelnuts or almonds in place of the pecans in the crust.
8 to 12 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

9 whole graham crackers, broken

½ cup pecans, toasted

¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

Generous pinch of salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar Generous pinch of salt

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

1 tablespoon brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

CRUST
: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Combine graham crackers, pecans, sugar, and salt in food processor and blend until nuts and crackers are finely ground. Mix in melted butter and vanilla. Press crumbs evenly on bottom and up sides of prepared pan (crust will be thick). Bake until set and just beginning to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool.

FILLING
: Bring cream, sugar, and salt to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add bittersweet chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in brandy and vanilla. Pour filling into crust.

Melt white chocolate in heavy small skillet, stirring constantly over very low heat. Transfer white chocolate to resealable plastic bag; twist bag just above point where filled. Snip tip of bag to create very small opening. Or transfer chocolate to pastry bag fitted with very small pastry tip (about ⅙-inch diameter). Starting in center of tart, pipe white chocolate in 1 continuous spiral, working outward to edge, spacing lines ½ inch apart. Using small sharp knife, draw knife tip through white chocolate lines from center to outer edge. Lift knife tip and draw second line from outer edge to center. Repeat several more times, alternating direction of lines from center to edge and edge to center, spacing evenly, to create floral pattern. Chill until set, about 2 hours.