CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART!

   This recipe comes from www.marthastewart.com.  Everyone enjoys something chocolatey, it doesn't matter when or where.......So how about now!

   The luxurious chocolate filling of this tart is amazingly easy to make: simply melt bittersweet chocolate in hot cream, and stir in vanilla extract. The shortbread crust is enriched with almonds and subtly perfumed with orange or lemon zest.

Prep Time 25 minutes

• Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield Serves 10

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons slivered blanched almonds
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 cups (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest, (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make dough: In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground. Add sugar, flour, zest (if desired), and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter, pulsing until coarse crumbs form with no large butter lumps (dough should clump together when squeezed with fingers).
2. Immediately transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a measuring cup, evenly press dough in bottom and up sides of pan.
3. Bake in center of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Make ganache: Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream, through a sieve, over chocolate. Stir until smooth and creamy in texture. Mix in vanilla.
5. Pour chocolate mixture into center of cooled tart shell (if chocolate is lumpy, pass through a sieve). Let stand until set, about 2 hours, or chill for 1 hour.

Cook's Note:

Use a dry measuring cup to flatten dough evenly in tart pan