ALICE MEDRICH'S BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TART

I've been dying to try out Medrich's Bittersweet Chocolate Tart recipe...and having read it through, I noticed how unconventional it was. It calls for melted butter in the tart dough. While pressing the dough into the pans was easy, I was starting to wonder if I could make the dough stretch to cover all the surface areas. The crust would be super thin I realized.

The chocolate tart filling was also quick to make and only required setting in the oven. After pulling out the baked tart shells, you turn off the oven. You then pour the filling into the hot tart shells, and pop it all back into the oven to set for 10 minutes. Now how easy is that? The hardest part was waiting for it to cool down enough to eat it.

I didn't want to bother with decorating the tarts, so I sprinkled a little Fleur de Sel on top of half of them to see if it would taste okay. It did. But I prefer it without the salt.

Bebe inhaled it. The tart is somewhat like a shortbread cookie and is crispy, light and slightly sweet. The chocolate filling is custardy and truffle-like. I would say the crust to filling ratio is just right in the recipe since it is so rich and decadent. I used organic dark chocolate with 70percent cocoa content and I remember it being expensive. You can really taste the chocolate quality in this tart and should only use good quality chocolate. It's a keeper; especially the tart dough recipe.

as per Posh-Kimchi's request: here's the recipe...adapted by cakebrain

Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts

Crust:
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 t pure vanilla extract
1/8 t salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 cup half-and-half
2 T sugar
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly whisked
Special Equipment:
eight 4-inch (measured across the top) fluted tartlet pans (about 3/4 inch deep) with removable bottoms
*cakebrain's note: I think you can make do with 6 tart pans

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 F.
• Crust: Combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix in the flour just until blended. Divide the dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces (according to however many tart pans you're using). Press one piece very thinly and evenly across the bottom and up the sides of each pan. This takes patience--the amount of dough is just right (according to Medrich).
• Place the pans on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crusts are a deep golden brown.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small saucepan, bring the half-and-half and sugar to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth.
• Just before the crust is done, whisk the egg into the chocolate mixture.
• When the crusts are ready, remove from the oven. Turn off the oven. Pour the hot chocolate filling mixture into the crusts. Return the tartlets to the turned-off oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or just until the filling begins to set around the edges but most of the center is still liquid when the pans are nudged. Set the sheet on a rack to let the filling continue to cool and set.
• Remove the pan sides and serve the tartlets warm or let them cool completely. Just before serving.

notes:

To use chocolate marked 62% to 64% instead of standard bittersweet: use 7 oz chocolate

To use chocolate marked 66% to 72% instead of standard bittersweet: use 5.5 oz chocolate and increase the sugar to 5 T