09 July 2010

Pierre Hermé’s Recipe For Raspberry And Chocolate Tart

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Pierre Hermé continues to inspire me. 

For me, I spent last Saturday in the perfect place - in the kitchen, listening to sport on BBC Radio 5 on our digital radio and baking.  It was the turn of Hermé’s Raspberry And Chocolate Tart.  The end result was sheer perfection - bittersweet flavours from 72% cocoa dark chocolate  from Trinatario cocoa beans (a natural cross between the traditional Criollo and Forasteros cocoa beans), with the succulent, melting richness of the chocolate filling that only just holds itself together; these are balanced against the tart, fruitiness of raspberries.  What is perhaps even more amazing is that it is actually really quite simple to make. 

I don't have much more to say, except just make it for someone special and wow them, but make sure it is for someone you want to impress.

For the crust:

Prepare and bake a 22cm / 8¾ inch tart shell from Sweet Tart Dough, cooled to room temperature per previous blog

For the filling:

55g / ½ cup ripe raspberries

145g / 5oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Green & Black's dark cooking chocolate)

115g / 4oz unsalted butter, chopped into cubes

1 large egg, at room temperature, stirred lightly with fork or whisk

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature, stirred with a fork

2 tbsp caster sugar

Preheat oven to 190^oC / 375^oF.

Sprinkle the raspberries into the cooked tart crust.

Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over boiling water and carefully melt the butter separately in a pan.  Allow them to cool to a touch warm temperature or 60^oC / 104^oF.

Using a small hand whisk, gently stir the egg into the melted chocolate; don't be vigorous as you are not trying to get air in, just to mix thoroughly.

Next, add the caster sugar and stir that in.

Finally, work in the melted butter.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the raspberries in the tart shell.

Bake the tart for 11 minutes.  This gives you a tart that is still a bit wobbly in the centre.  Leave to cool on a rack.  Serve warm after settling for about 10 minutes or cool and have cold.  I actually prefer it cold and a bit more dense the next morning - great for breakfast on a Sunday morning!

Serve with extra red raspberries and/or cream or crème anglaise.