Chocolate and cream are two of my favourite things. Combine them, and I’m in heaven.
This tart is so stupidly easy that I daresay it’s actually foolproof. It’s perfect for Christmas as it requires very little oven time, and spends most of its time hanging out in the fridge.
You’ll need a pastry shell first. I’d highly recommend my newly discovered, super-easy one.
While it’s baking and cooling, chop up some chocolate (make it nice and fine). Use good chocolate. I’m not kidding. There are all of four ingredients in this tart filling, and most of it is chocolate. This is not the place for store brand chocolate chips. Place it in a bowl and add a bit of whiskey, a tablespoon of cocoa, and a pinch of salt. Perhaps some espresso powder if you’re so inclined, you brilliant person, you.
Boil the cream (well, almost—get it to the point where it’s steaming and looks like it’s going to boil soon, but for the love of cream, pull it off before it does or it will suddenly froth up like mad and make a massive mess) and pour it over the chocolate. Stir to melt.
Spread the ganache in the tart shell and chill. And that’s it. Seriously.
Bittersweet Ganache Tart
1 eight-inch tart shell
60g (2oz) good, dark chocolate
90mL (3oz) heavy cream
30mL (1oz) spiced whiskey
Pinch of saltFinely chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl with the whiskey and salt. Heat the cream over medium heat until it is steaming, but DO NOT let it boil. It will go from steaming to a big, frothy boiling mess in no time at all, so do be careful. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir to melt and blend. If it doesn’t fully melt, place the boil in a hot water bath and stir until it does.
Spread the ganache into the tart shell. Chill and serve in thin slices!
