There’s something about Pittsburgh that makes people want to leave. Ask anyone who has lived here for a length of time (apart from just being here for college) and they’ll surely have stories of how many friends left town in search of their fortunes. Not that I blame them, really - I do love my city, but unless one’s occupation matches a handful of very specific fields, finding a gratifying career here can be pretty tough. I will probably be joining the expatriate lot in the not-too-distant future, but meanwhile, I have gotten used to the slow cycles of making new friends, watching them leave, and eventually making more.

Last Saturday, an old friend brought over several new ones to play a sort of nostalgic game that involved rolling dice and peering at slips of paper. For this, I made Alice Medrich’s Warm Mocha Tart from Bittersweet. I’ve made the tart several times before, as it’s terrifically good on top of being extremely easy. The crust requires no rolling, the inside has a deep, dark chocolate flavor but does this with cocoa powder so there’s no need to chop chocolate, and the whole process takes less than an hour, including prep time. The result is a smooth and ganache-like filling on top of a decadently buttery crust. The only change I made was to add a hint of cinnamon, because there just aren’t many groups of friends that are as happy in one place as coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon, don’t you think?

Recipe after the jump…

Warm Mocha Tart

Crust
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I prefer natural over Dutch process, but either will do)
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
generous 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Mix the melted butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the flour and mix just until well blended. The dough will be very soft, but don’t worry. Press the dough very thinly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden.

While the crust bakes, make the filling:
1. Place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and cream in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture is blended and smooth and begins to simmer around the edges. Remove from the heat and stir in the espresso powder and vanilla.

2. Just before the crust is ready, whisk the egg thoroughly into the warm chocolate mixture.

3. Pour the filling into the hot crust and turn off the oven. Leave the tart in the oven until it quivers like tender Jell-O in the center when the pan is nudged, about 12 to 15 minutes, or until set. Cool on a rack.

4. To serve, dust with cocoa powder and/or confectioner’s sugar.

PS: This tart is just as good cold as it is warm or room temperature.

Posted by the cookworm on Tuesday, August 21st, 2007 at 10:31 am.