Hello Bakers,
Episode 3 is all abut the 7” tart pan I thought would save my first marriage. I know that is a real crazy town concept but that is what I thought. When I bought this pan, another one that I have been carrying around for decades, I imagined creating all sorts of beautiful small tarts. I would serve these after delicious meals - my first husband had a sweet tooth - so having some leftover was also part of the plan.
Little did I know, that nothing I could have done would save this marriage but when you are young, blind and naive… oh well.
As you know - WDIBT is not about judging our kitchen ware purchases but rather getting more out of them or moving them on to someone who will.
Most likely, I will donate this pan the next time I head off to Goodwill or the Council Shop but first - let’s use it to make a simple chocolate tart.
You might have a tart pan in your equipment cupboard just begging to be used. It’s easy to be seduced by French tin tart pans - they shine in cookware stores - separated by French paper so that the don’t scratch each other. Endless possibilities…
This amount f dough can be used to make any size up to a 9” - and it fills a rectangle tart pan and a square and tartlet pans - size matters but shape does not.
I realized that this little series has not been getting much traction - so I am assembling it live on IGTV. How to get to that point is outlined right here. Please share if you think it is useful…I would love to reach a larger audience.
Here are the components to the easy chocolate ganache tart.
I have to apologize - I went live on Instagram with the tutorial not realizing that it wouldn’t save - but next time I will film it so that it captures.
Sweet Tart Pastry (enough for a 9” tart pan)
Equipment: Scale, 9” tart pan with a removable bottom, Rolling pin, Pie weights (optional), or beans and rice.
Ingredients:
177 g all-purpose flour
43 g sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon (1g) salt1
114 g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2 egg yolks (36g)
1 teas. vanilla extract (8g)
1 Tbsp water (15g)
Mixing by Hand
1. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and cut it into the flour until it is the size
3. Combine the egg yolks, vanilla and water in a small bowl.
4. Sprinkle the egg mixture on top of the flour. Mix with a dough scraper, folding the dry ingredients against the sides and bottom of the bowl until the dough forms a cohesive mass.
5.Transfer the dough to a work surface and smooth it briefly and gently. The goal is just to bring the dough together. Do not overwork.
Flatten the dough into a 1/2” disk and wrap the dough in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the flour particles to hydrate and the gluten to relax.
6. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and cut to fit your tartlet pan. Form the dough in the pan and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Mixer Method (Dough)
1. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter.
2. At low speed, mix (turning the mixer off and on) until the butter is the size of peas.
3. Combine the egg yolks, vanilla, and water in a small bowl.
4. Add to the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough barely comes together.
5. Transfer the dough to a work surface and smooth it briefly and gently. The goal is just to bring the dough together. Do not overwork. Flatten into a disk 1/2" thick, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours before rolling out.
Tart pan lined with crumpled parchment paper, filled to the brim with baking beans and rice. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes.
Remove the parchment paper and beans and return the crust to the oven for 10 more minutes - this crust has to be fully baked before it is filled.
Ganache:
8 ounces (227g) semi sweet chocolate, chopped if bar or chips
8 ounces heavy cream
1/4 cup raspberry jam
Bring the cream to a rolling boil.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 20 seconds.
Stir with a spatula until smooth.
Spread jam in the bottom of fully baked tart pan
Pour ganache into tart shell.
Chill for 2 hours.
Decorate with fresh berries and serve
Refrigerate Leftovers