Starters & Finishes
Featuring BLiS B Grade Maple Syrup
by Patricia Wells
An Easy Chocolate Tart for any Birthday
It was my daughter's birthday and I wanted to surprise her with something out of the ordinary. My memory took me back in time to when she shared with me her time spent in Paris. Shortly after that, I came across a recipe by Patricia Wells for this easy chocolate tart. It was very ambitious of me to try something of this magnitude.
Easy Chocolate Tart Ingredients
- 8 oz all-butter puff pastry
- 3 T butter
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1/2 t fine sea salt
- 1 T honey
- 3 T BLiS B Grade Maple Syrup
- 2 T walnuts, coarsely ground
- 2 T almonds, coarsely ground
- 2 T hazelnuts, coarsely ground
- 2 T dried apricots, minced
- 2 T dried figs, minced
- 2 T candied orange peel
- 1 C heavy cream
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate
The ingredients included heavy cream, pure maple syrup, butter, and honey among others which were all very indulging and rich. When she stepped out for a few hours I started chopping nuts and dried fruits. I prepared the tart pan with a rich buttery puff pastry dough.
While that waited, a saucepan hit the flames for the rich filling to be mixed and blended. Into the saucepan went the butter, honey, brown sugar, B Grade BLiS pure maple syrup, chopped nuts, and chopped dried fruits.
Next, the gooey mixture filled the tart pan lined with the puff pastry and then into a pre-heated oven ready to be baked to golden perfection. While the tart was cooling I began the next step, which was to make the chocolate ganache. Another saucepan was waiting in the wings to be filled with chocolaty richness and deliciousness.
First, heavy cream was heated until it gently melted the bittersweet chocolate into an ocean of velvety chocolate lushness. That was then poured over the tart already filled with the gooey filling.
The tart was then tucked away in the fridge hidden for a birthday surprise later in the evening. After dinner, we celebrated and enjoyed our chocolate tart outside in the gazebo. It was not your ordinary birthday cake, which made it extra special and quite memorable. Every bite was rich and satisfying. The dessert definitely took us back to Paris in our minds and hearts but mostly in our palates.