Chocolate tart is a gourmet dessert made by baking a chocolate, eggs and cream mixture placed inside an unsweetened puff pastry. It is also called chocolate cream pie, and is a type of custard tart as it contains egg-based filling. It is usually found only in high end cafes and restaurants as the tart has a difficult and lengthy preparation method and expensive ingredients. It has a close resemblance to chocolate mousse, but a firmer texture on account of being baked.
History of Chocolate Cream Pie
A mention of the dessert can be found in a 19th century book which features recipes for opulent families. The chocolate tart recipe featured in the book suggests use of flavouring ingredients like cinnamon and lemon peel, and has been taken from another book of the 18th century.
The chocolate tart was featured in the first series of the popular reality TV show Master Chef Australia in 2009, after which the dish gained a lot of popularity in Australia. The recipe became one of the critical factors in deciding the winner for the finale of the show. The recipe was simplified from the original version for this show. The tart also featured in the British TV show ‘The Naked Chef’.
Chocolate Tart Recipe Overview
The chocolate tart recipe is a complicated one, and here is a brief overview of the preparation method-
Ingredients: Ingredients used for the pastry shells include flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, eggs and ice water.
For the filling, ingredients include heavy cream, milk, semisweet chocolate, salt, sugar and eggs.
Method of Preparation
Pastry Shell: To prepare the pastry shell for the chocolate tart, dough is made with flour, salt, sugar, butter, egg yolk and ice water. The dough is given the shape of a disc, plastic wrapped and then refrigerated for about half an hour. It is then rolled out to thin discs and each is placed in a tart pan, which is placed in the refrigerator for some time. The pastry shell is then baked in a preheated oven till it turns golden in colour.
Filling: To prepare the filling for chocolate tart, heavy cream and milk are heated in a pot, and chopped chocolate, sugar and salt are mixed into it. The mixture is whisked till a smooth consistency is achieved, and eggs are added to it and mixed well. This filling is poured into the tart shells and baked again till the filling sets and a glossy surface forms. Formation of any kind of bubbles or cracks in the filling indicate that it should be removed from the oven immediately.
Nutritional Information
The tart is high in calories and hence not a preferred choice for people who wish to lose weight. A single chocolate tart contains approximately 490 calories, 39g total fat, 125mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium, 36g carbohydrates and 6g protein.
