Chocolate Berry Tart

Just under the radar, thanks to the extra day this month, I give you this month's Chocolate Therapy challenge: Chocolate Berry Tart

I have never made a dessert tart, so this was a new experience for me. It was surprisingly easy, and beautiful, even easily fixed after my son's hand fell into it! :D

I think there are many possibilities for variations on this tart, and that it makes a great company piece - but also is wonderful for just for fun with the family, since it has lots of fruit, it's got the health factor going sort of.

It is so simple, my son could have done most of it. Bake a shortbread crust, make a chocolate pudding like center, cover with whipped cream and then berries. Why haven't I made this before?

I'm not entirely sure if I made the chocolate pudding part right - it was a very soft set; it didn't hold its shape when cut. And the shortbread crust - well, I've never made shortbread, so I wasn't really sure how to shape it. It all worked out fine in the end though!

(Updated to say that the leftover's held their shape very well the next day before being consumed, so maybe it just needs more than 4 hours!)

What a great recipe for expanding my dessert and chocolate horizons!

Chocolate berry tart

Shortbread crust
makes a single crust
9 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter, room temp
5 Tbs powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C plus 3 Tbs flour
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy about 1.5 mins. Add flour and mix until light and fluffy about 2 mins. Gather dough in ball and press into bottom and sides of a 9 or 10 inch tart pan. cook at 300 F for 40-45 mins, let cool before filling.

filling
1 oz unsweetned chocolate
1/2 C plus 2 Tbs semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 C plus 2 Tbs milk
1/2 C plus 2 Tbs heaving cream
1 1/2 Large egg yolks (hold yolk in hand and cut in half with butter knife) at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp expresso powder (which I leave out, or sub with dutch cocoa)

topping
1/3 C whipping cream (with 1 T sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla to flavor)
1 pint ripe berries

Chop chocolates fine (food processor 20 seconds). Heat milk and cream in small sauce pan over low heat until JUST boiling, about 5 mins, remove from heat. Add egg yolks, vanilla and powder to chocolate and process. While processor is running pour hot cream and milk and process until chocoalte is melted. Scrape bowl and process a few more seconds. Let cool to lukewarm, about 10 mins, and spread in shell. Chill at lest 4 hours in refrigerator. Before serving whip up cream (and sugar and vanilla) and spread over the tart, distribute berries.