The Ultimate Chocolate Tart

Chocolate crust:

1. In a food processor with a steel blade put flour, cocoa powder, butter, powdered sugar and salt and blend until crumbly mixture forms.
2. Add egg yolk and blend just until large chunks of dough are received. If the dough is not united – add a little milk gradually.
3. Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface, unite together and form a disc-shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
4. On well-floured surface, roll out the dough to about 3-4 mm thick and line pie pan. It is important to create a right angle between the sides and the base of the crust, which will ensure the edges remain high when baking.
5. Pierce the crust with a fork and chill in the freezer for about an hour.
6. Preheat oven to 170c degrees.

Blind baking:

1. Put a sheet of heat-resistant plastic wrap or baking paper on the frozen crust and fill with dry beans or special weights for baking.
2. Bake for about 12-14 minutes.
3. Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 8-10 minutes or until completely set.
4. Cool completely at room temperature.

Chocolate and almond cream:

1. In a food processor with a steel blade, put almonds and chocolate and grind into rather-fine powder.
2. Add butter, sugar, salt, flour and cocoa powder and blend to a crumbly mixture
3. Add egg and milk and blend until you get a uniform, thick cream.
4. Pour the cream over the half-baked crust and straighten the top.
5. Bake the tart for 10-15 minutes or until the cream sets at the edges but is still slightly soft in the center.
6. Cool completely at room temperature.

Chocolate and praline crunch:

1. In a small bowl, put praline paste, chocolate and butter and melt in the microwave or over double-boiler, until completely melted and smooth.
2. Add paite feuilletine and mix with a spatula to a uniform mixture.
3. Pour the mixture to a baking pan lined with baking paper, flatten with a spatula and form a 22 cm disc.
4. Freeze the crunch disc in the freezer for about an hour until it is completely frozen.
5. Place the frozen crunch layer on top of the baked tart and keep in the refrigerator.

Dark chocolate mousse:

1. In a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for about 10 minutes until the gelatin absorbs the liquid.
2. Chop the chocolate, place in a bowl and melt in the microwave or over double-boiler.
3. In a medium saucepan put milk and salt and heat to simmering point.
4. In a separate bowl whisk egg yolk and sugar.
5. Pour about 1/3 of the boiling milk onto the yolk mixture while whisking, until the mixture is uniform.
6. Return the mixture into the pan with the remaining milk and whisk.
7. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens a bit and reaches a temperature of 82-84c degrees.
8. Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave and add into the cream.
9. Strain the cream and add it into the melted chocolate. Mix well until incorporated and smooth.
10. Cool for 10 minutes at room temperature.
11. Whip the cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the chocolate mixture, until a uniform glossy mousse is formed.
12. Pour the mousse into a 22 cm round baking ring, and smooth the top using a palate knife.
13. Freeze the mousse layer for at least 4-5 hours, or until it is completely frozen.

Chocolate glaze:

1. In a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for about 15 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs all the liquid.
2. In a medium saucepan put water, cocoa powder and sugar and heat to a boil.
3. Add in the cream and bring to a boil again.
4. Melt the gelatin and add into the saucepan while whisking.
5. Strain and cool at room temperature to about 32-35c degrees, stirring occasionally.
6. Transfer the frozen mousse on a rack and pour the glaze to cover completely.
7. Transfer the mousse layer carefully to the top of the tart. There will be about 1 cm margins left in the tart and that’s okay.

Chocolate ganache:

1. Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl.
2. In a small pot, put whipping cream and heat to a boil.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate, wait about a minute and mix until you get a uniform chocolatey ganache.
4. Cool the ganache for about an hour in the refrigerator until it reaches a convenient texture for spreading and piping.
5. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag with a round 1 cm piping tip and drizzle small mounds of ganache at the margins of the tart.
6. Drizzle a “snake” of chocolate ganache at the top of the tart.

Chocolate streusel:

1. In a food processor with a steel blade put sugar, almond powder, salt, flour, cocoa powder and butter and blend until crumbly.
2. Transfer the dough crumbs on a baking pan lined with baking paper freeze for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 170c degrees.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crumbs set and fully baked. Cool to room temperature.
5. Sprinkle with some chocolate streusel crumbs at the top of the tart for decoration.
6. Decorate with asymmetric chocolate sheets on the margins, crunchy chocolate pearls and gold leaf on the top.