Chocolate tart

I made this chocolate tart recipe inspired by Gordon Ramsay more as a test of patience than a fine dining experiment. It was the kind of recipe where, if you follow the instructions too literally, you risk burning the edges of the crust or overcooking the filling. I didn’t stray too far from the basic guidelines, but I adjusted the timing based on what was happening in the oven. The result was a tart with an intense chocolate flavor, quite easy to make at home.

Quick Info

Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes (including cooling the dough)
Actual preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Baking time: approximately 25-30 minutes in total, divided between baking the crust and the filling
Servings: 8-10 slices
Difficulty: medium (involves working with pastry dough and careful monitoring of the oven)
Recipe type: tart, occasion dessert

Ingredients

Tart Dough
250 g all-purpose flour
125 g butter (cold, cut into thin slices)
125 g powdered sugar
A pinch of salt
Vanilla (essence or vanilla sugar, depending on what you have on hand)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk

Chocolate Filling
100 g milk chocolate
200 g dark chocolate (plus some extra pieces for decoration, if desired)
100 ml milk
200 ml heavy cream
Vanilla (essence or vanilla sugar)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
Powdered sugar for decoration (optional: whipped cream, chocolate shavings)

Instructions

1. Preparing the Dough
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and powdered sugar. Mix a bit, then add the cold, thinly sliced butter. Rub it with your fingers until you get a crumbly texture. In another bowl, beat the egg and yolk with a little vanilla, then pour it over the flour mixture. Quickly gather everything into a pastry dough, without overworking it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate. I kept it for about 30 minutes.

2. Rolling and Chilling the Dough
Once the dough has chilled, place it between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a thickness of about 3-4 mm. Place it in the tart pan (with high edges, if you want more filling), press well, and trim the excess. Prick the bottom with a fork in several places. Put the dough back in the fridge for another 15 minutes.

3. Baking the Dough (Blind Baking)
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cover the dough with parchment paper and sprinkle some beans or rice on top (to prevent it from puffing up while baking). Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, check the edges: if they are browning too much, reduce the time or cover them. If you want, trim any burnt or overly risen edges. Return the empty crust to the oven for another 6 minutes, but keep an eye on it to avoid burning.

4. Making the Chocolate Filling
In a large bowl, place the milk chocolate and dark chocolate, broken into pieces. Heat the heavy cream with the milk until just about to boil (it shouldn’t boil for long, just get hot). Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and stir until everything melts and you have a glossy cream. Add the vanilla essence. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the powdered sugar. Incorporate them into the chocolate cream once it has cooled slightly. Mix everything well.

5. Baking the Tart with Filling
Pour the chocolate filling over the baked tart crust. Level it out. Bake at 190°C. The original recipe recommends 35-40 minutes, but I’ve never left it for more than 15-20 minutes, otherwise the filling becomes too firm or even burns. The tart is done when the filling no longer wobbles when touched, but isn’t dry on the surface.

6. Cooling and Decorating
Let the tart cool completely before removing it from the pan or decorating it. You can sprinkle powdered sugar or chocolate shavings on top, or add whipped cream, as you like.

Why I Make This Recipe Often

It’s the kind of dessert that fits any festive meal, it’s not overly sweet, and it’s not hard to make. You can prepare it partially in advance, and the flavor is intense even if you only use dark chocolate. It keeps well and doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- Don’t overwork the dough to prevent it from becoming tough after baking.
- The edges of the tart need to be monitored closely, as they can burn quickly, especially if you use pans with thin edges.
- Don’t leave the filling in the oven for too long – make sure it’s set but still slightly wobbly in the center.

Substitutions

- If you don’t have milk chocolate, you can use only dark chocolate, but increase the sugar in the filling slightly (that’s what I did).
- Vanilla can be omitted or replaced with grated orange for a different flavor.

Variations

- You can add a little sea salt on top after baking for contrast.
- For a stronger flavor, use only dark chocolate with 70% cocoa.

Serving Ideas

- Serve with cold whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- It’s also good and simple, straight from the fridge, or at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I make the dough a day in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the dough 1-2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, well wrapped in plastic wrap.

2. What should I do if the edges of the tart burned while baking?
Gently trim the edges with a sharp knife after baking, while it’s still warm.

3. What type of chocolate is best to use?
Ideally, use a good quality dark chocolate, not too sweet. If you’re using only dark chocolate, add sugar to taste.

4. Can it be made without a mixer?
Yes, you don’t need an electric mixer, just a whisk for the filling and a bowl for the dough.

5. How do I know when the filling is done in the oven?
When you gently touch the center of the tart with your finger and it no longer wobbles liquid, but is slightly soft to the touch.

Nutritional Values

Approximately, for one slice out of 10: about 350-400 kcal, 24 g fat, 37 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein. Values are approximate and depend on the chocolate used and the amount of sugar. The tart is denser due to the butter and chocolate.

Storage and Reheating

It keeps in the fridge covered for up to 3 days. There’s no need to reheat it; in fact, it’s better cold or at room temperature. I don’t recommend freezing it, as the texture changes.

1. To prepare the dough, sift the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and powdered sugar, then mix with the cold but soft butter cut into thin slices to form crumbs. 2. Beat the egg and yolk with vanilla, then pour into the center of the flour mixture. Knead a tart dough and chill it wrapped in plastic. Gordon does not specify a particular time; he says for a few hours. I left it for 30 minutes like any tart dough. 3. Place the dough on a baking sheet and roll it out, then fit it into the tart pan. Prick the dough with a fork. Chill the crust for 15 minutes. 4. At this point, I worked on the cream: place the chocolate in a bowl. Bring the cream and milk to a boil (it should come to a simmer), pour it over the chocolate, and mix well with a spatula, then add to the eggs and mix everything together with powdered sugar and vanilla. This cream will fill the tart shell. 5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Cover the dough with a sheet of baking paper and place beans or rice on top. Gordon specifies an initial baking time of 20 minutes in the recipe. I followed this, but as you will see, the edges were almost done. He says to remove the paper with the rice, trim the edges, and then leave the tart in the oven for another six minutes. In my opinion, that was already too much, so at this point, I had already added the chocolate cream. 6. Gordon suggests (as you will see in the attached link) baking for 35-40 minutes, which is impossible because the tart will turn to ash... so leave the tart until the cream no longer quivers and sets nicely. Let the tart cool and then decorate it as inspired. This is my story with the delicious tart by Gordon :)))) but I tell you... it’s definitely worth trying :)

 Ingredients: Pie dough: 250 g flour, 125 g butter (cold), 125 g powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla, 1 egg and 1 yolk. Chocolate cream: 100 g milk chocolate, 200 g dark chocolate (plus extra for decoration), 100 ml milk, 200 ml liquid cream, vanilla, 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, powdered sugar for decoration (I added cream and chocolate flakes).

 Tags:  chocolate cake