Raspberry Mint Tart
This tart's fresh, chopped raspberries & mint keep it light and and tangy - the perfect balance to its rich chocolate ganache topping.
9 oz Pâte sucrée (pronounced pat-sue-cray) recipe found below.
2 cups raspberries
20 oz fresh mint leaves
Chocolate Ganache:
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
7 oz semi-sweet chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids)
1 oz light corn syrup
4 tbsp butter
Pâte sucrée
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, cubed & slightly softened
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted pinch of salt
2 medium eggs (room temperature)
Sift flour into a mound on the counter and make a well in the center. Add the butter, sugar & salt. Mix together with your fingers until it becomes grainy.
Make another well and add the eggs. Work together with your fingers until it begins to hold together. It's a mess, but keep working it. It gets better.
When it becomes a recognizable dough, knead it until smooth. Roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
Baking the crust:
Use an 8" tart pan with a removable bottom. Grease it lightly with butter. Roll out the dough to 1/16" thick and place in the tart pan. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Prick the base of the pastry shell several times with a fork. This keeps the shell from rising while baking. Bake blind for 20 minutes.
Baking Blind: Line the dough with parchment paper and weigh it down with dry rice or beans. Take the weights out after 20 minutes of baking. Lower oven temperature to 350F and bake for another 5 minutes without weights.
Assembling: Place tart on wire rack to cool. Lift off the tart ring to cool thoroughly.
Set aside some of the more beautiful raspberries for garnish and cut the others in half. Gently mix the berries and snipped mint. Spread into the tart shell.
Ganache: Bring the cream to a boil over medium heat. Don't boil too long or it will burn. Take off the heat and add the chocolate (chopped into small bits) and corn syrup. Whisk. Continue to whisk, adding butter one piece at a time.
Pour the ganache over the filling to fill the pastry shell. Set aside until cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Don't cover the tart. It will ruin the smooth finish.
When cooled, use a sharp, hot knife to cut slices. Dip in hot water and wipe dry before cutting each slice to keep edges clean. Serve cold but not straight from refrigerator. Use reserved raspberries & mint for garnish.
This recipe is from Michael Roux's pastry, Wiley Publishing, 2008. Full of great tips, this book includes wonderfully detailed photography and so many sweet & savory tart dough recipes.