Thursday, December 31, 2009

Kirsty's Chocolate Fruit Tart


This was Sarah's birthday "cake" Kirsty made this year....the fruit and everything were so good! You can use whatever fresh fruit you have for it. It's a good time to get creative. Essentially, you have a shortbread-type crust, milk chocolate layer, then pastry cream and the fruit. Some people put the fruit glaze on it, but Kirsty didn't this time...you don't need it!

Crust-
This crust benefits from lots of handling. Yolks only give a more golden crust.

2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c (12 Tbsp) butter cut in chunks
2 egg yolks (or 1 whole egg)
1/2 bag (approx) of semi sweet chocolate chips

300 degree F
Stir flour and sugar. Add butter. With fingers, work butter into flour.
With a fork, stir in egg until dough holds together(or use food processor
mix first 3 ingredients until you have fine crumbs, then add egg until dough holds together).
Press dough firmly into a smooth ball. If made ahead, you can keep in fridge wrapped
in plastic at least an hour and up to a week. Makes 2 c of dough.
Use 1 c dough for 11 inch pan, 2 c for 12 inch pan.
Press pastry into pan, pushing firmly into bottom and sides.
Bake 30-40 minutes- until lightly browned.
Remove from oven, spread a layer of chocolate chips over crust, and put
back in oven that's turned off for about 7 minutes. Spread melted chocolate
evenly over bottom of crust.

Pastry Cream
3 oz cream cheese (softened) beat until smooth
1 cup whipping cream (continue beating and add to cream cheese)
do not over beat but will end up like stiff whipped cream
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon peel grated

Beat cream cheese to smooth. Continue beating while adding whipping cream.
Do not overbeat, but should end up like stiff whipped cream. Stir in powdered
sugar, vanilla, and lemon peel.

Assembly
Smear a layer of pastry cream on chocolate filled crust (after it cools).
Cut up fruit and arrange in the cream. You can glaze the fruit or dip in lemon
to keep fruit from getting brown. Glaze with apricot or currant or strawberry jelly, melted over low heat and cooled slightly. You can also dust with powdered sugar
instead of glaze.

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