Lemon Tart with Chocolate Crust

This is a high impact, impressive recipe that's not as hard to make as your guests will assume it is. But, a word to the wise: it's really rich! That being said, this is one of my favorite recipes of all time, and I highly recommend it after a salad in the summer. My dad found this recipe in "book of tarts" by Maury Rubin, when he was researching for his tart shop, and I've adopted it because I couldn't bear to see it shelved when the doors to the shop closed. One common variation is using regular instead of chocolate crust, and while that might reduce a bit of the glutinous richness, I really think it takes away.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Tart Dough-

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into about 8 pieces

1 cup minus 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

1 large egg yolk

directions:

1) Let the butter sit at room temp for 10 to 15 minutes. (malleable but cool to the touch)

2) Sift together the flour and cocoa powder

3) Place the confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a mixer or a med. mixing bowl. Add the butter and toss to coat. Using the paddle attachment, or a hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until the sugar is no longer visible. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add half of the flour mixture and beat until the dough becomes crumbly. Stop the machine, add the remaining flour mixture, and beat until the dough forms a sticky mass. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap well in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

4) Dust a work surface with a flour mixture, 2 parts flour and 1 part cocoa powder. Cut the chilled dough into 1-inch pieces. Using the heel of your hand, knead the pieces back together into a smooth disk. As you work, use a dough scraper to free the dough from the surface if necessary. Keeping the surface well dusted, roll the disk into a ten inch log. If using flan rings, cut the log into 7 equal pieces; if using tart pans, cut it into 6 pieces {I also like to use this for one big tart, in which case you shouldn't cut it up}. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

5) If using flan rings, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set seven 4-inch flan rings on it.

6) Dust the work surface and a rolling pin with flour mix. Using your fist, flatten one piece of dough into a 2 to 3 inch round. Lift it up off the work surface to dust underneath with flour mix. Using the rolling pin, roll the rough into a 5.5 inch round, or a 6 inch round if using tart pans, about 1/8 of an inch thick. With a pastry docker or a fork, prick holes all over the dough. (If the dough is too soft to handle, use a dough scraper to remove it in to a small backing sheet and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 minutes before proceeding).

7) Center the round of dough over a flan ring or a 4.75 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. If using a tart pan, be careful that the sharp top edge does not tear the dough. With your thumbs on the inside and the tips of your fingers outside, run your hands around the ring or pan several time, easing the dough down into it. Speed does not matter, finesse does. Lower your thumbs to the inside bottom of the rings and press to form a right angle between the bottom and sides of the dough; it using a tart pan, press to form a clean angle without excess dough buildup. Keeping your thumbs on the inside of the ring or pan, again circle around it, applying light pressure to the sides; if you move the ring or pan around through your hands, the process will be easier. There should be at least a 1/2-inch rim of excess dough extending straight above the top edge. With a small knife, tilted upward, trim the excess dough flush with the top of the ring. Or, if using a tart pan, simply roll the rolling pin over the top to trim the excess. Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough {if you're making one big tart, you're finished}. Refrigerate the scraps from each piece as you work, then knead them together and toll out another tart shell. It using tart pans, place them on a baking sheet.

8) Place the tart shell{s} in the freezer for 30 minutes.

9) Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

10) Bake shell{s} for 8 to 10 minutes, until the interiors are dry and the pastry smell nicely of chocolate. If the bottoms of the shells puff up, tap down lightly with your fingers as often as necessary. Leave the tart shells on the baking sheet in their rings of pans

If you are baking the tart shells, bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the interiors are dry and there is a deep chocolate aroma. If you are using flan rings, remove the rings and using a wide spatula, transfer the shells to a wire rack to cool. If using tart pans, let the shells cool completely in the pans on a rack before unmolding.

Filling-

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice {takes about 4 or 5 lemons}

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Tart Shell{s}*

1 ounce bitter sweet chocolate, melted for design, or cocoa powder for dusting (the melted chocolate looks much + tastes a bit, better, but cocoa is easier)

*You can make anywhere from 1 big (9 inch) tart, to 6 to 7 medium sized ones, using tart shells or flan rings, or you can make 34 2.25-inch mini tart shells, you can really decide for yourself, based on occasion and cooking wear, they all taste good and look amazing

directions:

1) Place the sugar in a medium mixing bowl and grate the zest of the lemon into it. Rub the zest and sugar together between the palms of your hands.

2) Strain the lemon juice into a medium nonreactive saucepan. Add the eggs, egg yolk, butter, and the zested sugar, and whisk to combine. Set the pan over a medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Be sure to whisk all over the bottom of the pan, especially the edges. At the first sign of a boil, remove from the heat and strain into a bowl.

3) With a ladle or a large spoon, fill the tart shells with the lemon cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until set. To fill the mini-tart shells, transfer the lemon cream to a small glass, and pour the filling into the shells.

4) Make a pastry bag and melt some chocolate! {If you are using cocoa powder instead, then dust it on now, and you're finished}

*Cut a piece of parchment, wax paper, or heavy bonded typing paper {I find the parchment paper to work best} into a 5 by 7 inch rectangle. Cut it in half on the diagonal.

*Hold the triangle midway on the long side (with your left hand if you're right handed). With your right hand, twist the bottom point in on itself to form a cone. Leave a generous opening (at least 1.5 inches wide). Pull the point up to tighten and to form a sharp tip.

*Grasping the newly formed cone in your right hand at the open end, twist the tail around the cone, pulling it up toward your to tighten.

*Fold the ends inside the cone to secure.

Melting chocolate:

*Fill a medium sized pot with water, enough to float a small sauce pan on top, and bring it to a simmer. Then place the sauce pan in the pot (this is a make shift double broiler).

*Finely chop the chocolate and place it in the pan. You must, must, must be careful that absolutely no water gets into the small pan with the chocolate.

*Turn the burner on medium-low and let the chocolate melt a bit. As soon as the chocolate is liquidy take the pan off the stove, don't let the chocolate bubble.

*Holding the pastry bag in your left hand (if right-handed), spoon in the melted chocolate until half full.

*Using the little crimps and folds, tightly fold the bag down to meet the chocolate. Snip off the slightest bit from the point. (It shouldn't be much larger than a pencil point).

{Practice your design skills on a piece of parchment paper, there should be plenty of left over chocolate, and its really important to practice. Also, I find in this exercise, a littler goes a long way, so make your design minimalist, just enough to tempt the viewer and give the chocolate lover another reason to worship you}

Let the tart sit at room temp for 10 minutes before serving.