Dark Chocolate Coffee Tart

A Detailed Guide to Making the Dark Chocolate Coffee Tart

This complex tart features multiple layers of texture and flavor: a crisp shell, a fudgy cake, a crunchy layer, a chewy caramel, and a light whipped ganache. Follow each section carefully.

Serves: 6

Part 1: The Coffee Shortcrust

The base of the tart, infused with coffee and cocoa for a rich flavor profile.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a food processor, add the flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, coffee beans, and salt. Pulse to combine.
2. Add Butter: Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs.
3. Bind the Dough: Add the half egg and pulse just until the dough comes together.
4. Roll and Chill: Roll the dough out thinly between two sheets of parchment paper. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
5. Prepare Moulds: Take small brioche moulds (9 cm diameter) and place them upside down on a baking sheet.
6. Cut and Shape: Remove the dough from the fridge. Use a round cutter (10 cm diameter) to cut out circles. Drape these circles over the upside-down moulds, pressing gently to shape them.
7. Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for 8-10 minutes.
8. Cool: Let the shells cool completely before removing them from the moulds.

Part 2: The Dark Chocolate Cake

A flourless, fudgy cake layer that sits inside the tart shell.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Melt Chocolate & Butter: Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie). Melt completely, then remove from heat.
2. Add Sugar & Eggs: Stir in the sugar and eggs until the batter is well combined.
3. Bake: Pour the batter into a cake ring (16 cm diameter) lined with parchment paper. Bake at 175°C for about 15 minutes.
4. Cool and Cut: Let the cake cool completely. Once cool, use a small round cutter (approx. 4.5 cm diameter) to cut out 6 small chocolate cake circles.

Part 3: The Sealing Chocolate Layer

This step waterproofs the shell and adheres the cake to the base.

Ingredient:

Method:

1. Melt: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie.
2. Brush: Brush the inside of the cooled tart shells with a thin layer of the melted chocolate.
3. Insert Cake: Immediately place one of the small chocolate cake circles (from Part 2) into the center of each tart shell.
4. Chill: Refrigerate while you prepare the crunch layer.

Part 4: The Coffee Crunch

A texturally contrasting layer to add bite to the tart.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Melt: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie. Remove from heat.
2. Mix: Stir in the almond butter, feuilletine, coffee beans, and salt until evenly coated.
3. Fill: Spread a thin layer of this crunch mixture into each tart shell (around the cake circle and over the bottom).

Part 5: The Coffee Caramel

A rich, chewy caramel infused with coffee flavor.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Infuse Cream: In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream and coffee beans to a boil. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the cream through a sieve to remove the beans.
2. Cook Caramel: In a clean saucepan, combine the infused coffee cream, brown sugar, glucose syrup, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil.
3. Check Temperature: Continue heating, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the mixture reaches exactly 112°C.
4. Add Chocolate: Pour the hot caramel into a heat-proof container. Immediately add the milk chocolate and stir.
5. Blend: Use a hand blender to emulsify the caramel until smooth. Let it cool slightly.
6. Fill Tarts: Pour the caramel into the tart shells (filling the space around and over the cake/crunch).
7. Set: Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight until the caramel is set and chewy.

Part 6: Whipped Coffee Chocolate Ganache

This component must be started the day before serving as it needs to chill overnight.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Soak Gelatine: Soak the gelatine sheet in cold water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Infuse Cream: In a small saucepan, bring 125 g of the heavy cream and the coffee beans to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and infuse for 10 minutes. Strain to remove beans.
3. Melt Chocolate: Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie. Remove from heat.
4. Reheat Cream: Bring the infused coffee cream back to a boil, then remove from heat.
5. Combine: Squeeze excess water from the gelatine and stir it into the hot cream. Pour the hot cream over the melted chocolate.
6. Emulsify: Stir from the center with a rubber spatula until smooth and glossy.
7. Add Cold Cream: Pour in the remaining 125 g of cold heavy cream. Blend with a hand blender to ensure it is perfectly smooth.
8. Chill: Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and refrigerate overnight.

Part 7: Decoration & Assembly

The final steps to perform on the day of serving.

Ingredients:

• Cocoa powder
• Small dark chocolate circles (thin discs)

Method:

1. Whip Ganache: Remove the ganache from the fridge. Whip it using a mixer until soft peaks form (be careful not to over-whip or it will become grainy).
2. Pipe: Transfer the whipped ganache into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe the ganache onto the set caramel in the tart shells to form a flower pattern (or dollops).
3. Finish: Dust lightly with cocoa powder and top with a small dark chocolate circle.

Tips

• Make Ahead: The tart shells (brushed with chocolate) stay crisp in the fridge, so you can assemble the tarts (up to the caramel stage) the day before.
• Freshness: Always whip and pipe the ganache on the day you intend to serve the tarts for the best texture.