Rich with a subtle herbal kick, be sure to start this tart early in the day as it is best enjoyed the day it is made. The homemade pastry is slightly delicate but worth the extra effort to make from scratch. Keep it local with eggs, cream and greenhouse basil.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ½ tablespoons ice water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate (between 65%–70% cocoa)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons agave syrup
- 1 mounded tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 6–8 medium Thai basil leaves, reserving smaller leaves for garnish
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
- Whipped cream (optional garnish)
Instructions
For the crust, combine dry ingredients in bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add butter and pulse again until pea-size pieces of butter are formed.
Whisk together egg yolk, ice water and vanilla in a measuring cup. Add to processor in a steady stream, pulsing just until dough starts to come together. Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.
Roll dough to form a ¼-inch-thick 11-inch round. Place in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press sides and trim excess dough. Prick bottom with a fork. Chill crust for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 20–25 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and discard beans and parchment. If needed, return to oven and bake another 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, remove crust from pan and place on a serving plate.
For the ganache, place chocolate in a medium heat-tolerant bowl and set aside. In a small saucepot, heat cream, covered tightly, until small bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat. Add agave syrup, ginger and basil, cover and steep for 30 minutes.
Strain cream through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing down on solids. Return cream to a clean pot and heat again, just to a boil.
Drizzle hot cream over chocolate to cover. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate in tight circles adding bits of butter one at a time, until all the butter has been incorporated. Once the ganache has emulsified and is very shiny and smooth, pour into prepared crust. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Serve with whipped cream and garnish with basil.
Recipe by Owner Jennifer Borden, Provender Fine Foods, Tiverton Four Corners
About this recipe
Wine Pairing: Emilio Lustau Pedro Ximenez “San Emilio,” Jerez, Spain. A multifaceted and richly flavored dessert deserves the same from its wine pairing. Pedro Ximenez is the sweetest of the sherry family, but this wine is balanced by its lively acidity and complex flavors of dried fruits, roasted nuts and maple. A special treat to go with a special treat!
—Eric Taylor, Bottles Fine Wine & Spirits, Providence
