About a month ago I realized I was barely cooking for myself (or eating) due to both a busy schedule and lack of motivation to cook just for me; consequently, I started inviting people over on weekends to eat with me so I'd kind of force myself to make at least one tasty more adventurous meal a week. So, I've been enjoying the company of the people I know here in Providence, eating healthier, and sharing one of my favorite things in the world...food. Yes, it sure is nice to share meals with good folks.
So, last night, two women I originally met when I first moved to Providence two and a half years ago through my former book/food club, came over to eat, drink, and chat. I've been making cookies for about a month; therefore, pulled out my list of other desserts to try and decided to make a chocolate ganache tart that I had recently seen on
Chow. Yes, I was really glad to make something other than cookies (even though I love cookies).
The result was a rich decadent dark chocolate treat with an absolutely delicious shortbread crust that contained vanilla bean seeds. And, the cherry-vodka-vanilla sauce was amazing...the perfect compliment to the bittersweet chocolate. I would highly recommend making this tart, especially if you are either afraid to roll out tart/pie dough or simply just don't have the time. This recipe is a press-in crust which means that you save time by literally pressing the dough right into the tart pan rather than rolling out a flat disc. In addition, the ganache is a no-bake filling. After the crust has been chilled and baked off, all you have to do is mix up the ganache, fill up the tart shell, and you're good to go.
I couldn't get a great photo last night when dishing this dessert up due to my typical apartment lighting issues. OK, well, that and I might have had a few vodka-tonics and, generally, was more interested in eating the dessert than taking photos of it. I pulled out the leftovers and gave it a shot this morning. Thanks to Stacy and Sarah for super fun night. And, thank you Sarah for the beautiful flowers.
Crust:
1 stick butter, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and bean reserved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour
Filling:
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cherry-vodka sauce:
2 10 oz bags of frozen cherries
1/2 cup vodka
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
To make the crust:
Heat oven to 350 F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Combine butter, sugar, vanilla seeds and salt in a large bowl and stir until fully and evenly incorporated/mixed. Add the flour and stir just until it is combined and a soft dough forms.
Sprinkle the dough over the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers/palms to evenly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You can flour the cup and/or your hands to prevent sticking (if necessary). Place the tart shell on a baking sheet.
Cover the tart shell with plastic and put in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Take it out of the fridge, dock it with a fork (i.e. prick it with the fork to make holes) and bake about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.
To make the filling:
Place the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine the cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid just begins to simmer. This will take a few minutes.
Pour over the chocolate and butter. Let sit until melted, about 4 minutes. Gently stir. If all of the chocolate doesn't melt (this happened to me), put in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir.
Pour ganache into cooled tart shell evenly. Put in fridge until set, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
For sauce:
Place cherries, vodka, sugar, and reserved vanilla bean in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir once in a while, until cherries start to break down and the syrup has thickened, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
To serve the dessert:
Slice and serve with sauce and whipped cream.