Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Coffee Mascarpone Cream

I baked this tiramisu pie for Mum during Mothers' Day. *risking my study time for exams on that Sunday* Got the recipe from here. I rate it 7/10.

The pie base takes a long time to prepare. If you don't have a food processor, please don't pandai pandai and use a blender like I did. (Though some people say its a good alternative = =) The dough I prepared wasn't really enough for a 9.5 inch tray. I can never get all these inch measurements right. So I ended up with a 6 inch round try instead.

More disasters began. I screwed up all the measurements for filling and topping because I made adjustments here and there. I made too much of them. When my pie crust was done, I can't fill them all in.

Lesson learnt: Stick with the recipe. No matter what.

But nah. I don't really wanna follow the recipe. Why? It's cos I have only limited baking tools and ingredients so it's hard for me to follow the recipe 100%. Gotta use substitutes and whatever I think fits. Keke.

When everything's done, I took my "cake" from the fridge after 3 4 hours. The crust was an epic fail, but the taste was good. Stil edible. So it wasn't a total failure. My Mum loved the coffee taste. :)

I'll attempt this again soon, but this time with a sponge cake base. Some lucky ones are gonna have the chance to taste it. And they are people who play basketball. Haha. :)


TART SHELL
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Pinch of salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk

FILLING
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 large egg, beaten

TOPPING
1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure coffee extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

* If coffee extract is unavailable, dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons of espresso powder in 1 1/2 teaspoons of water


Directions

1. MAKE THE TART SHELL: In a food processor, pulse the flour with the confectioners' sugar and salt. Add the butter and egg yolk and process until a soft, crumbly dough forms. Transfer the dough to a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Pat the dough over the bottom and up the side of the pan in an even layer. Refrigerate until firm.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the shell for 30 minutes, or until golden around the edge and dry in the center. Remove the parchment and weights and cover the rim with foil. Continue to bake the shell for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a rack; let cool.

3. MAKE THE FILLING: In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the milk over moderate heat until small bubbles appear around the edges. Off the heat, add the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg; the mixture will thicken slightly.

4. Set the tart shell on a baking sheet and fill it with the chocolate custard. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set around the edges, but still very jiggly in the center. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool, then refrigerate until chilled.

5. MAKE THE TOPPING: In a very small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the coffee extract and cook over low heat just until the gelatin melts; let cool slightly.

6. In a large bowl, beat the cream, mascarpone and sugar with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. At low speed, scrape the gelatin into the bowl and beat to combine. Dollop the cream onto the tart and swirl decoratively. Sift the cocoa over the cream. Refrigerate the tart until firm before serving.