Au Chocolat!
While engaged in a discussion a few weeks ago the question, "is chocolate a fruit?" was posed. The answer is no. Chocolate, is a product made from the cacao bean, and cacao is a seed from the fruit of the Cacao tree.
The flesh of the fruit, once ripened, may be eaten. It has a slightly citrusy flavor with a consistency of that of a watermelon however, is also somewhat slimy.
TThe first people known to
have utilized chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central
America. These people, including the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground cacao
seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink. The Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds with their return to Spain. Chocolate, or what
we now consider chocolate, only became popular in pastries and candy bars in the
19th century. The reason for this is due to the high cost of chocolate until this time. Because of its' high cost, chocolate had much success with the well to do in Spain and
then spread throughout the most prominent families in Europe. The interesting drink was brought from the Americas as cacao, and it was drunk with out sugar and though flavored with vanilla, it had a very bitter quality, and to the Europeans being similar to coffee. In 1657 hot chocolate, now with
the addition of milk and sugar, began sweeping London.
Though not destined to replace coffee, hot chocolate found its way into society being chic and fashionable,
particularly for its reputation of being an aphrodisiac. Interestingly enough, chocolate was
considered so stimulating that monks were forbidden from drinking the steaming hot mugs of frothy goodness.
The difficulty in acclimatizing the cacao tree to new environments is attributed to the costly price of drinkable chocolate in this era. However, certain varieties were found to be cheaply cultivated in the early 1800's and lot long after, the Swiss, who are know for their skills as chocolatiers, began discovering ways to change chocolate from an enjoyable hot brew to an edible consumable.
I am not a big fan of the various milk chocolate varieties available in drugstores, gas stations and mainstream groceries. What I do love however, are those dark, strong flavored, silky bars containing 85% cacao or more. The following recipe should come with a WARNING label as it is sinfully decadent. Trust me, unless super rich desserts are right up your alley, you'll want to cut smaller slices than usual.
CHOCOLATE PECAN TART
from The Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg
This tart’s caramel-nut
filling rests on a thin, light crust that’s been coated with a layer of
dark chocolate. Try using this same technique of coating a crust with
chocolate for other tarts and pies, such as a lemon tart, coconut cream
pie, and banana cream pie.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- About 3 tablespoons ice water
- 3 ounces 82% extra dark chocolate, finely chopped
Filling
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 2/3 cups lightly toasted pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons cacao nibs, chopped (optional)
- Cocoa Whipped Cream
FOR THE CRUST:
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse two or three times to combine. Add the butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water by drizzling about 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each drizzle. Stop once the dough begins to come together.
Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to press it together. Pat into a disk approximately 6 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 13- to 14-inch circle, flouring the dough and board as necessary to keep it from sticking. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently lift the edges to ease the dough into the corners of the pan, then push the dough down gently to be certain the dough around the sides is ¼ inch thick. Use a paring knife to cut excess dough from the rim of the pan. If necessary, pat a bit of the dough trimmings into any thin spots. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the parchment and weights, and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the bottom of the crust and bake for an additional minute, just to melt the chocolate. Remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to spread the chocolate in an even layer. Let cool on a rack while you prepare the filling. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F.
FOR THE FILLING:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, swirling the pan so the caramel colors evenly. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush with a wet pastry brush. Test the color of the caramel by drizzling a few drops onto a white plate. When the color is medium to dark amber, remove from the heat. Slowly and carefully–it will bubble up–add the cream.
Return the caramel to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes to thicken slightly, reducing the heat to medium-low if the caramel bubbles too much. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
Place the tart shell on a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla, egg, and yolk. Slowly whisk into the caramel. Stir in the melted butter, followed by the nuts and nibs, if using. Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell. The filling will come to the top of the shell. (If the crust has shrunk during baking, it may not hold all the filling.)
Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling is set.
Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. While still warm, move the tart in the pan to loosen the edges where the caramel has stuck, but keep it in the pan. Let cool completely before removing the tart ring.
Serve each wedge of tart with a dollop of the cocoa whipped cream.
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse two or three times to combine. Add the butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water by drizzling about 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each drizzle. Stop once the dough begins to come together.
Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to press it together. Pat into a disk approximately 6 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 13- to 14-inch circle, flouring the dough and board as necessary to keep it from sticking. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently lift the edges to ease the dough into the corners of the pan, then push the dough down gently to be certain the dough around the sides is ¼ inch thick. Use a paring knife to cut excess dough from the rim of the pan. If necessary, pat a bit of the dough trimmings into any thin spots. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the parchment and weights, and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the bottom of the crust and bake for an additional minute, just to melt the chocolate. Remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to spread the chocolate in an even layer. Let cool on a rack while you prepare the filling. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F.
FOR THE FILLING:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, swirling the pan so the caramel colors evenly. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush with a wet pastry brush. Test the color of the caramel by drizzling a few drops onto a white plate. When the color is medium to dark amber, remove from the heat. Slowly and carefully–it will bubble up–add the cream.
Return the caramel to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes to thicken slightly, reducing the heat to medium-low if the caramel bubbles too much. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
Place the tart shell on a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla, egg, and yolk. Slowly whisk into the caramel. Stir in the melted butter, followed by the nuts and nibs, if using. Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell. The filling will come to the top of the shell. (If the crust has shrunk during baking, it may not hold all the filling.)
Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling is set.
Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. While still warm, move the tart in the pan to loosen the edges where the caramel has stuck, but keep it in the pan. Let cool completely before removing the tart ring.
Serve each wedge of tart with a dollop of the cocoa whipped cream.
© 2006 Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc.