PotTart

Sometimes when you have a craving, some psychologists suggest occupying yourself with something else and it will most probably be gone.

Well, I had an intense craving for chocolate the whole of this week and when the craving lasts that long you know it is not a craving. It is a need.

I drove down to Simon Johnson's providore and got myself some real chocolate. A 1kg pack of Valrhona Gran Couva and 200g bar of Manjari. After spending a hefty sum on the goods, a good recipe was in order.

I spent the afternoon wondering through all the dessert sections of my cookbooks and stumbled upon the perfect one.



The chocolate tart from a Ménage A Trois Des Chocolate (Trio of Chocolate) recipe in Serge Dansereau's (of Bather's Pavillion at Balmoral Beach) "The Bather's Pavillion, Menus and Recipes". An excellent book that never fails to enchant me with his ability to marry creativity and simplicity.

The story doesn't end here.

I very excitedly made the chocolate tart base, let it rest in the fridge, rolled it out, lined the tin, baked it and took it out of its tin too fast, it CRUMBLED to pieces. You see, baking requires patience and when you are excited, patience disappears.

I looked around.......
then decided to fill the base of my ramekins with the crumbled pieces and top it off with the ganache.

Thats what I did. I made a PotTart and it was heavenly.



The Recipe

Chocolate Tart Base
120g butter
115g sugar
pinch of salt
dash of vanilla extract
50g cocoa powder
120g plain flour

Ganache Filling
400ml cream
525g chocolate