Double Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Tart

double chocolate raspberry cheesecake tart from ItsYummi.com #recipe #dessert

It occurred to me this week how much more of a fighter I've become over the past year, especially where the kitchen is concerned.  Not that I ENJOY fighting with my food, but past kitchen failures like this one did a great job of teaching me that it's more productive (and less expensive!) to stop throwing my disasters down the garbage disposal and start finding ways to turn them into a different but equally delicious treat!  The world will NOT come to an end just because something I made doesn't turn out looking like the photo in the cookbook.
I also learned that determination, persistence, and practice are all key ingredients to creating a successful recipe from start to finish.

Today's recipe is proof positive of that.  My intended project was to recreate Joy the Baker's dark chocolate ganache tart with fresh berries and sweetened cream.  It sounded heavenly and perfect for me to make, especially in celebration of my birthday this week.  I salivated as I daydreamed of silky dark chocolate sliding over my tongue with a tart and tangy raspberry chaser.  Yum!  I looked at the beautiful photo in  Joy's book and I knew it was going to be perfectly wonderful!
Christina Ferrare's version replicated Joy's version perfectly.  Take a look at this beauty...  Christina rocked it!

Joy the Bakers Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart as made by ChristinaFerraraeCooks.com

Joy the Bakers Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart as made by Christina Ferrarae

THAT is what I intended to make. THIS double chocolate raspberry cheesecake tart is what I ended up with:

 

double chocolate raspberry cheesecake tart from ItsYummi.com

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Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Chocolate raspberry tart

Did you know that today is National Raspberry Tart day?  It's Earth shattering news, isn't it?!

If you DIDN'T know earlier, you definitely know now, and since I'm such a food nerd, I am quite certain that I should be your go-to source for all things food...including national food holidays!

I'm a raspberry lover.  No, I don't mean that I'm head over heels for a guy who is red faced and covered with bumps....I mean that I adore those plump, juicy berries that go so well with baked goods like muffins and scones and are a perfect compliment with chocolate and whipped cream.  Hence, the reason for baking this tart.

I used a luscious, decadent bittersweet chocolate and paired it with fresh off of the vine raspberries.  Then I topped it off with some home made whipped cream.  The result...a slice of Heaven right here on planet Earth!  Bake one of these bad boys up, grab a fork, and dig in, my friend.  It's a melt-in-your-mouth sensation that your taste buds will want a repeat performance of!

 

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Rating: 51

8 servings

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

WHAT YOU\'LL NEED

    For the crust
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons cold water
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 6 tablespoons raspberry jam
  • For the filling
  • Filling
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries

HOW TO MAKE IT

For the crust:

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and rub in, using fingertips, until mixture forms looks pebbly. add water and egg yolk and mix in with fork until well incorporated.

Gather dough and shape into a flattened circle, then wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes.

(Alternatively, ingredients can be pulsed in the bowl of a food processor, which helps prevent the butter from melting from the heat of your hands)

Heat oven to 375°F. (350°F for convection ovens)

Butter and flour a 9-inch tart pan with 1-inch-high sides and a removable bottom. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to a 10-inch circle.

Peel off 1 waxed paper sheet. Invert dough into prepared pan, press evenly to fit, including up the sides of the pan. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Peel off second waxed paper sheet and trim edges.

Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust just begins to darken around edges, piercing with toothpick if crust bubbles, about 12 minutes longer. Remove from oven and maintain oven temperature.

Spread jam over bottom of crust. Bake until jam is set, about 3 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool completely.

For the filling:

Bring cream to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer chocolate ganache to bowl and refrigerate until chilled but not firm, about 30-45 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat ganache until very thick and semifirm. Spread ganache over jam in crust.

Arrange raspberries atop ganache.

Notes

Adapted from [Epicurious.com] http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY-TART-456

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Summer Fruit Lemon Curd Tart

Tart - Cut

Normally, I would use this blogging opportunity to fulfill the mission statement of It's Yummilicious... I would feed your spirit AND your stomach.  I would feed your brain fun and/or interesting food facts.

I'd do something like share the history of lemons with you.

Citrus fruits like lemons are packed with healthy Vitamin C!

Or I would show you some nice food photography...

Photo credit: All That Matters

Or if I had time,  I might offer you an awesome "how-to" video tutorial on lemon curd.

But I can't do that today.  You see...I'm busy.   I'm VERY busy.

I'm terribly sorry.

I'm eating this...

 

I promise to give you more information the next time.   Cuz that's the way I roll.

So please come back.

OK OK...so I was teasing.  Making this tart really couldn't be any easier.  All you need is a pre-made pie shell, which you then fill with lemon curd.  You can buy it, or make your own.  There's a great recipe for it HERE

Then all you need to do is slice the fruits of your choosing into slice and decoratively place them atop the lemon curd.  Pipe a little freshly whipped cream on the top and you're ready to serve up this yummilicious summer treat!