The taste and quality of any chocolate dessert is dependent on the type of chocolate we use. Chocolate is a complicated ingredient that, like coffee, begins with beans. Cacao beans from the tropical tree Theobroma, that is, which translates to "Food of the Gods". There are three types of cacao beans (Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario) and the type and/or blend of beans, their quality, and where they are grown all contribute to the quality and taste of the chocolate. Other factors affecting taste and quality are how the beans are roasted, how the beans are ground into a mass called chocolate liquor, how much extra cocoa butter is added to the chocolate liquor, quality and amount of other ingredients added, and how long the chocolate liquor is conched (processed). Therefore, a chocolate with a higher cocoa butter content will produce a Ganache that is firmer than one made with a chocolate that has a low cocoa butter content. And a chocolate with a velvety smooth texture will produce a Ganache that is velvety smooth. So, from this you can see that the type of chocolate for making this tart is important but make sure you like the chocolate when eaten out of hand. Some of my personal favorites that are readily available and at a reasonable cost are Lindt and Schaeffer Bergen.
Biscotti Crust:
8 ounces (225 grams) store bought biscotti, broken into pieces
5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 84 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1/3 cup raspberry sauce (recipe follows)
10 ounces (280 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
Raspberry Sauce:
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar, or to taste
Garnish:
Fresh raspberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degree C). Have ready a 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) fluted tart pan.
Biscotti Crust: In your food processor, place the biscotti and process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press this mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the filling.
Filling: First, we need to make the raspberry sauce. Place 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries, that have been thawed, in your food processor and process until the raspberries are broken up. Pour into a strainer, set over a bowl, and press on the raspberries to extract the juice. Add sugar to taste. Set aside.
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup of the raspberry sauce. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked and cooled crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To Serve: Cut into small slices and serve with fresh raspberries and with any of the remaining raspberry sauce. Can also serve with whipped cream or cr?e fra?he.
Makes one - 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart. Serves 12 - 14 people.
Sources:
De Laurentiis, Giada. 'Giada's Family Dinners'. Clarkson/Potter Publishers. New York: 2006.
Longbotham, Lori. 'Luscious Berry Desserts'. Chronicle Books. San Francisco: 2006
This cake recipe requires that you beat one pound of butter to a cream, and mix with it the whites and yolks of eight eggs beaten apart. Have ready, warm by the fire, one pound of flour, and the same of sifted sugar; mix them and a few cloves, a little nutmeg and cinnamon, in fine powder together; then by degrees work the dry ingredients into butter and eggs. When well beaten, add a glass of wine and some caraways. It must be beaten a full hour. Butter a pan, and bake it an hour in a quick oven. The above proportions, leaving out four ounces of the butter, and the same of sugar, make a less luscious cake, and to most tastes a more pleasant one. [PHOTO: Marcelo Terraza]
