Chocolate Strawberry Tart

A while back I made this chocolate tart: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chocolate-tart-recipe/index.html and wasn’t overly satisfied with the results, on account of the fact that I used random baking chocolate instead of higher quality stuff.  I also decided to switch it up a bit, and add strawberries to the recipe. The simple syrup only adds a hint of strawberry to the chocolate mixture, so feel free to add more if you feel like it. The results are pretty outstanding – I’ll definitely be making this one again sometime.

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup milk

10 oz. semisweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips – chop the chocolate into small pieces if using larger chunks/bars)

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 lb. strawberries, divided

1/3 cup water

2 large eggs, room temperature

Pine nut and almond crust (recipe here: http://gavinscooking.blogspot.com/2012/05/lemon-sabayon-tart-with-honeyed.html)

Press the pine nut and almond crust into a 9” tart pan, then refrigerate for 15 minutes. Line the crust with tin foil and pie weights (I use some pinto beans I have reserved just for this purpose) and bake in a 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until it just starts to simmer around the edges. Remove the pan from heat, and add the chocolate, whisking to incorporate. Add in the sugar and salt and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil. Stem and quarter 3 strawberries (should be ½ a cup, chopped) and add to the water. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, adding an extra bit of water if it reduces too much. Pass the syrup through a strainer into the chocolate mixture.

In a bowl, mix the two room temperature eggs, then add to the chocolate mixture. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cooled tart shell. Bake at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the filling is set. If it starts to form bubbles or crack remove from the oven immediately as that’s the signal that it’s starting to overcook. Cool completely.

Chop the remaining strawberries into thin slices and arrange them around the tart, working from the outside inwards.