This is the Little Black Dress of desserts. I would go as far as to say that it’s always RIGHT. Whether you’re throwing a cozy dinner party, showing up to a big holiday meal, or just want to make someone feel super special on their birthday, this is the Bittersweet Chocolate Honey Tart for you. Forever and for always.Β I made this Bittersweet Chocolate Honey Tart for my birthday this year. Yes, I made my own cake on my birthday, because I hate nothing more than disappointment, and I didn’t want to take a chance on some average cake on my special day. So, this recipe is adapted from one of Joanne Chang’s incredible masterpieces from the original Flour cookbook, that I have baked through and through over the years.
I want to talk about one very simple thing that will make this recipe a success: quality ingredients!Β This tart is so simplistic and the list of ingredients is very minimal, so you really want to make sure you’re using great quality stuff. For example, I love Valrhona chocolate, King Arthur flour, and Kerrygold butter. Are they a bit pricier than the generic brand? Indeed. But this is how it all boils down for me. There’s nowhere to hide here, and if I’m going through the effort and taking the time to make an incredible Bittersweet Chocolate Honey Tart, I want every bite to taste luxurious, and decadent, and amazing.
A quick breakdown: make the crust, and let it chill for about 45 minutes. Roll it out, and blind bake it in a 9-inch tart ring. Meanwhile, make the bittersweet chocolate ganache filling. Remove the partially baked tart shell from the oven, pour the ganache filling in, and return the tart to the oven until the ganache is just set, but still slightly jiggly. Allow to cool, and serve at room temperature, dust with unsweetened cocoa powder, and top with anything: fresh fruit, shaved chocolate, soft-whipped cream.
Bittersweet Chocolate Honey Tart
a decadent, perfectly simple dark chocolate ganache tart with a sweet crumbly pastry crust - ready to be topped with anything you love, or nothing at all
Ingredients
Pastry Shell
- 1 stick salted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour, unbleached
- 1 organic egg yolk
Bittersweet Chocolate Filling
- 8 oz. bittersweet dark chocolate, at least 70% finely chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 T raw dark honey
- 2 organic egg yolks
- 2 T salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the pastry shell: combine the room temperature butter, salt, and granulated sugar in a medium sized bowl, and mix throughly with a large wooden spoon until the butter is pale in color and slightly fluffy. Add the flour to the bowl, and mix gently to combine. Add the egg yolk and mix just until the dough forms.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 35-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch removable bottom tart pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. Place the dough on a slightly floured surface, sprinkle the top with flour as well, and roll out to about an 11-inch circle, 1/4-inch thick. Gently transfer the dough to the prepared tart pan. Don't worry if the dough cracks or breaks. Use your finger to patch it up. Poke the dough several times with a fork, so that air can escape during baking. Once the dough is pressed up the sides of the pan, spray the dough lightly with a shot of nonstick cooking spray. If the dough is getting too warm or sticky, place it in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes to firm back up. Place a 12-inch piece of aluminum foil on the dough, and fill the pan with pie weights, beans, or granulated sugar. Place the tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until pale golden brown. Remove the foil and pie weights, and set aside to cool on a wire rack.
In the meantime, make the Bittersweet Chocolate filling. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Combine the cream, milk, and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat and scald until small bubbles form around the perimeter of the pan, about 3-4 minutes. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate, and let stand for 1 minutes. Whisk the chocolate and cream until all of the chocolate is melted and combined. Whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, then the egg yolks, then vanilla and salt.
Pour the chocolate ganache filling into the tart shell (on the rimmed baking sheet), and return to the oven to bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the filling is set, but slightly jiggly like Jell-O. Let cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Serve at room temperature, and top with unsweetened cocoa powder, shaved chocolate, fresh fruit, flakey sea salt or soft whipped cream.
If there are any slices left, be sure to store in the refrigerator.
Shlomo says
Looks decadent & heavenly delicious! Where’s my piece?