Despite my many claims in this blog that I am not a chocoholic, I have to admit that I have a love of it. Of course, unlike serious chocolate fiends, I don’t dream of swimming in lakes of chocolate, nor do I pitch a fit when its unavailable, but more and more I find that I’m becoming attracted to chocolaty recipes. Which would be why, when I saw this recipe in Alice Medrich’s “Bittersweet“, my heart fluttered…just a little 
Unfortunately, as my family are not big chocolate fans (a block of chocolate usually lasts about 1-2 weeks in the fridge or pantry), I had to hold of making them as there would be nobody to eat them but me…not a good thing when I’m trying to be very good at the moment! However, as tonight I was to meet the girls in order to go to view a night of feminist theatre, I thought it the perfect occasion for some chocolaty decadence! That…and well, since it’s been a week since my last post, I thought I’d present you with a little something extra spesh in the way of an apology for my absence 
I have to admit that while baking from this particular book is a ROYAL pain in the hiney (oh why why why are there two different systems of measurement? Please come over to metric, it’s so much nicer on this side of the scales!) , the recipes that I’ve tried from it have made me so happy that its worthwhile sitting down and converting almost every measurement (>___<)
Any leftover chocolate custard mix? Easy – pour it into ramekins to be baked into delicious chocolate pots!
When I presented these to the girls at the restaurant (they had met for dinner, but I was running late and decided to just courier dessert when I went to meet them to go to the show), there was a round of very audible “ooooohs” and “aaaaaahs” as I shared them out. By their telling, the dinner at the restaurant had been so average that my little treats helped raise their spirits and rally the troops, with K declaring that there should be “much more of this in the future, thank you!”
They truly are everything that Ms. Medrich promised they’d be – even though they’re made with cocoa powder, they are sinfully chocolaty, their rather solid appearance hiding an inner gooey-ness that will definitely put a smile on your dial. However, since I didn’t follow Ms. Medrich’s instructions entirely, I’m not sure if this is the texture she had in mind…never the matter, I love them just the way they are!
So if you’re looking for a devilishly dangerous morsel of chocolate – give these little tarts a try. I promise – they won’t disappoint!
Gooey Mocha Tarts
(Adapted from Alice Medrich’s “Bittersweet“)
Ingredients – makes 1 x 9″ tart, or 6 x 3″ tarts
Crust
120g unsalted butter
1/4 cup caster sugar
Pinch of salt
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose/plain flour
Filling
45g unsalted softened butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 tsp instant espresso powder or instant coffee crystals
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1. Position a rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, and butter the sides of your tart tins.
2. To make the crust – mix together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla, then add the flour and mix till well combined – this is a very crumbly dough so don’t expect to be able to knead it or roll it out. Press it into your tart tins thinly and evenly, then bake for about 20 mins, or till they begin to go golden in colour. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 120 degrees C.
3. Meanwhile, mix up the filling – place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and cream in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat while constantly stirring. Once the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat and stir in the espresso powder and vanilla. Leave the mixture to cool slightly, and once it is just warm, thoroughly whisk in the egg.
4. Pour the filling into the tart cases, then put them into the oven for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes is up, turn it off and leave them in there for another 10-15 minutes, or till the mixture in the centre is solid enough that it wiggles like jello when jiggled. Put the tarts in the fridge to firm up and set, but bring back to room temperature before serving.
[tags]chocolate, tarts, mocha, dessert, sweets, recipes[/tags]
