From a Tuscan Hillside: Chocolate Tart Recipe

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Chocolate Tart Recipe

Anna's Chocolate Tart

Not truly a tart, which in my book requires some form of crust, this fine, moist chocolate cake still warrants the elegance of its name. It is something like a light (yet dark!) chocolate pudding baked and served thin with just a dusting of icing (confectioner's) sugar.

The recipe was invented by Anna Guarducci, the Panzano cook I have already mentioned in relation to Cenci. Before long she and a friend will be producing a book of local recipes in Italian and English. Watch this space.

As promised in preceding post, here is Anna's recipe:

200 g darkest chocolate
100 g butter
4 large eggs with whites separated from yolks
100 g sugar
2 tablespoons potato starch

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. In the microwave or on very low heat in double boiler (bain marie) over the stove, melt the chocolate and butter. Let cool.
3. Beat the egs whites until they form stiff peaks.
4. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy, and add the lukewarm chocolate and potato starch. Beat all the ingredients until thoroughly blended.
5. Fold the egg whites into the batter until it is smooth.
6. Line a 10 inch fluted tart tin (removable bottom necessary) with oven parchment. Pour in the batter and bake for 30 minutes. When the tart is done, cracks will appear on its surface.

1 comment:

AcanthusFebruary 9, 2013 at 11:30 PM
Thank you to Anna for sharing this; the cake sounds delicious and the recipe is very manageable. The key with such a simple recipe is to use top quality chocolate! There is a wonderful Tuscan chocolate maker called Amedei, but it would be very decadent to use their chocolate for this recipe.
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