Mint Truffle Tuxedo Tart

It is becoming more and more difficult to find excuses to bake lately.  I have so little time these days between traveling to and from The Biochemist's city, trying to complete my masters thesis, and maintaining friendships.  Plus, I am trying to be a good PWD and eat less decadence like I am going to post today.  However, today I had a good excuse.  Today I made a Tuxedo Tart in honor of our New Post-Doc's wedding that is coming up next weekend.  I found the humble filling recipe here and am pairing it with this smitten tart shell, and after finding the tart-pan on sale at TJ Maxx, I created my tuxedo stencil and the Mint Truffle Tuxedo Tart was born.

The Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell
From Smitten Kitchen

---Ingredients-----------------------------------------------------------

1 1/2 c whole grain white flour
1/2 c confectioner’s sugar
1/4 t salt
9 T very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg

---Preparation-----------------------------------------------------------

Butter the bottom of a 9 inch removable-bottom tart pan.

Pulse the flour, sugar and salt together in the bowl of a food processor. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in.  Stir the egg, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses–about 10 seconds each–until the dough forms clumps and curds. Since my food processor is so small, I had to do this all in a bowl with a pastry cutter.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Press the dough into the tart pan as soon as it is processed: Press it evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the tart shell. You want to press hard enough that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that it loses its crumbly texture.

Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

Center a rack in the oven preheat the oven to 375F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil (or use nonstick foil) and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust.  Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes.

Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake the crust about 10 minutes longer to fully bake it, or until it is firm and golden brown, brown being the important word: a pale crust doesn’t have a lot of flavor. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature.

While that cools you can start the tart's filling.

Not So Humble Fresh Mint Truffle Tart
From Not So Humble Pie

---Ingredients-----------------------------------------------------------

1lb 1 ounce (477g) semi-sweet chocolate , chopped (aka 5 bars of Cadbury Royal Dark chocolate)
1 1/4 c heavy cream
2 T unsalted butter
40 fresh mint leaves

---Preparation-----------------------------------------------------------

Pick roughly 40 mint leaves and give them a good washing.

Thoroughly dry the leaves in paper towels and then give them a couple smacks with your rolling pin to make them fragrant.

Bring the heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the mint leaves. Cover and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes so the mint can infuse the cream.

When the cream is ready, strain to remove the mint leaves and add the cream, the butter and the chocolate to a heat-safe bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water (over, not in). Stir the mixture slowly, until completely smooth. The end result should be a glossy, emulsified ganache, fragrant with real mint.

Pour the ganache into your cooled crust and then place into the refrigerator to set. It should take a few hours to firm up.

Making the pattern work can be tricky - just be creative!

Garnish the tart with a little fresh mint or a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.

To store, keep the tart covered and chilled for up to 3-4 days. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Cut a slice, a very small slice, and enjoy.

 Nutrition Facts, calculated with the Recipe Calculator
serving size: 1/16th of recipe

Calories 340.1
Total Fat 24.6g
Total Carbohydrate 32.0g
Dietary Fiber 3.2g
Sugars 20.6g
Protein 3.7 g

Here's the graphic I made as a pattern for the tuxedo.