Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Tart

Tart Shell

  • 3 ounces sweet butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 oz.) sifted cocoa powder
  • ¾ pastry or all-purpose flour

 1.      Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in food processor bowl.  Process until creamy. Add cocoa and process until dark, smooth paste.  Add flour and pulse just until incorporated but still crumbly.  Pulse a few more times to form a dough.

2.      Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and press into a large flat disk. Wrap and chill at least 45 minutes, or until ready to use. Pastry may be completed to this point up to 3 days ahead, or frozen for up to 6 months.

3.      Remove chilled dough from refrigerator. If it’s hard, let stand for 20-30 minutes, until rollable but still firm. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap until about 1/8-inch thick and roughly 11 inches in diameter.  Peel away top sheet of plastic, pick up the bottom sheet, and invert dough into tart pan. Line pan with dough, using plastic wrap on top side to ease dough carefully into corners. Pinch off dough at upper rim. (If dough gets too soft, chill for 5-10 minutes before continuing.)  Peel away plastic wrap; check to see that pan is evenly lined, patching and correcting as needed. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes before baking. Can be made to this point up to 3 days in advance (unless dough was already stored) or frozen up to 6 monhs (unless previously frozen).

4.      Preheat oven to 375. Prick bottom of tart pastry all over with a fork. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until set around edges but may still look slightly wet or undone in the center. Cool on a rack.

Ganache Filling

  • 10 ounces excellent quality bittersweet chocolate (cut into small pieces)
  • 1 ¼ cups heavy cream

1.      Place chocolate in heatproof bowl and set aside.

2.      Heat cream to simmer. Pour over chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir gently until chocolate is melted and smooth.

3.      Pour into cooled pastry shell. Tilt pan gently to spread ganache. Use sharp knife to pop any air bubbles. Chill at least 3 hours.

4.      Center a stencil or doily over chilled tart. Use fine mesh strainer to sift cocoa over the stencil.