Double Chocolate Tart with Fresh Raspberries

Thanksgiving is rather an epic eating marathon for my family. Sure, I think many folks could say the same but what differentiates our clan is that the menu is always a fusion of traditional Thanksgiving fare with delectable Vietnamese dishes. The best of both worlds in my opinion.

We must have went through at least 5-6 different courses this year—flipping back and forth between different cuisines and let me tell ya, thank goodness I had my stretchy pants on 🙂

But in all fairness, I was trying to load up for our impending Black Friday shenanigans. Which, for the record, was an 18-hour marathon of shopping….I’m totally not exaggerating.

I definitely got my cardio in!

For Thanksgiving, I ended up bringing two desserts. The first were mini Toasted Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting. I had initially wanted to make a Coconut Cake but opted for mini cuppies so that we didn’t have to hassle with slicing up a layered cake. Plus the minis let people grab a bite of sweetness without feeling that extra guilt. A version of the recipe can be found here.

The second dessert I made was a Double Chocolate Tart that I topped with fresh raspberries. It’s a spin off of my original Chocolate Raspberry Tart. But since I’m a chocoholic, the old version just wouldn’t do so I added cocoa to the crust and then filled it with a truffle like ganache. Boom.

And the truth is I actually hadn’t planned on posting this tart but I’ve received several requests for the recipe since I shared the pic on Facebook. So please excuse the grainy photo as I just quickly snapped a few photos with my phone that day.

But I promise you, janky photo or not, the tart is just delish. It’s deeply rich and just a small slice will definitely fulfill any chocoholic’s needs. It also pairs wonderfully with a glass of deep, dry red wine or a cup of coffee.

And guess what? Since you can make it the day before, it’s PERFECT for any Holiday entertaining you may be planning.

A definite Win-Nguyen 🙂

_____________________________________________

Double Chocolate Tart with Fresh Raspberries
Makes 1 10-inch tart

Ingredients:

Chocolate Shortbread Crust
cooking spray
1½ cups flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup confectioner sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Filling
1½ cups heavy cream
10 ounces dark chocolate (60% Cacao), roughly chopped
*Fresh Raspberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using cooking spray, grease a 10 inch tart pan.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. In a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Slowly begin incorporating in flour mixture a few spoonfuls at a time. When the dough begins to come together, transfer to the prepared tart pan and press dough into it. The dough will be quite soft. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork and place in freezer for at least 10 minutes to let rest. Once chilled, line the tart with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes, until edges are lightly set. Carefully remove the parchment paper from the pie and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until center of tart is firm. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.

Using a double boiler, heat the cream until it’s very hot but not boiling. Remove from stove and add the chocolate. Gently stir the mixture until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. You should have a beautiful glossy mixture when finished.  Pour the chocolate filling into the thoroughly cooled baked crusts.  Carefully tap the side of the pan to even out the filling. Leave tart on the counter to cool (about 30 minutes) and then move to the refrigerator to chill for an additional 2 or 3 hours. The filling should be firm when done.

Remove the tart from refrigerator and carefully slide out the outer pan ring. Transfer tart to serving platter and garnish with raspberries. ENJOY!