Receta Pear and Chocolate Cake Tart - Tarte-Gateau Poire Chocolat...
When we originally planned our European vacation it was just that - a European trip, with stops in France, Spain and Italy...then the mister, always willing to throw a monkey wrench into the mix, planned a meeting that he HAS to be back in the states for, cutting our trip short and doing away with the France and Spain portion...but I'm not complaining...not a bit, because while I was planning and preparing to go to France, I was also making and eating French food - and this cake/tart was one of the dishes I made. It made me want to dust off my beret and tie a scarf around my neck! I found the recipe in Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris - one great travel/recipe book - so even if you don't make it to France, if you have this book you can eat like you did!
This ranks in my top five desserts - it's THAT good! And it was a bit of a surprise to me at just how good it was - oh sure, I expected the French pastry crust to be flakey and light but I didn't expect the rich, fudgy-chocolate filling that seemed like it couldn't decide if it was supposed to be a cake or a pudding! And then there's the pears - sweet surprises that float on top of the cake, making it equally as delicious to look at as it is to eat.
(The mister and I are in Sorrento today, taking a cooking class - yes, BOTH of us! I hope he isn't allowed to use a cleaver, no telling what might happen!)
- Pear and Chocolate Cake-Tart - Adapted From Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris
- For the Pate Brisee - the Crust:
- 1 large egg yolk (save the white for the filling below)
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ice-cold water
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus extra for sprinkling
- 8 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, diced, plus a pat for greasing
- For the Pears:
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons dark rum or rum extract or vanilla extract
- 2 pears, ripe but still firm
- For the Chocolate Filling:
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 4 1/2 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white (saved from the crust recipe)
Prepare the crust. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk, water, salt, and sugar, and set aside. Combine the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor, and process at low speed for 10 seconds, until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Pour in the egg yolk mixture all at once and process for a few more seconds, just until the dough comes together. If it is too dry, add a little more ice-cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency. Turn out on a lightly floured work surface and gather into a ball without kneading. Flatten the ball slightly, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or up to a day (if you refrigerate for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before using.)
While the dough chills, poach the pears. Combine 1 cup water, the sugar and the rum in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Peel and core the pears. Cut each of them lengthwise into sixths, in order to get twelve pieces total. Add the pears to the saucepan, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 4 minutes, until tender and slightly translucent. Lift the pears from the syrup cautiously with a slotted spoon and set aside in a colander to drain.
Remove dough from the refrigerator. Grease an 11 to 12-inch tart pan with a pat of butter. Working on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 13 to 14-inch circle and line the pan with it, trimming off the excess dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (to prevent dough from shrinking as it bakes). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and put the tart pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
While the crust is baking, prepare the chocolate filling. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, and set aside. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring regularly to combine. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sugar, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the egg and egg white, stirring well between each addition. Add the flour mixture and stir again until just combined.
Remove the pan from the oven, but leave the heat on. Pour the chocolate filling into the tart shell and even out the surface with a spatula. Arrange the pear pieces over the filling in a sun-ray pattern, the small ends pointing toward the center of the tart. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the filling is just set at the center - it will continue to cook as it cools - and the crust is golden. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely before serving, on it's own, or with a scoop of whipped cream. Serves 12.
This is worth the time and effort - I've had my share of chocolate desserts - and this one is at the top of that list - I'm ringing the Dang Meter a solid FIVE times on this one!