CELEBRATE CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate.

Did you celebrate World Chocolate Day (July 7)? Oblivious of the occasion, I nevertheless was moved to make a chocolate dessert. Visiting friends presented me with a lovely gift, a 1 ¾ -pound block—like an ingot--of dark chocolate. I couldn’t just let it sit there to be chipped away in bits.

July 7, 1550, was, supposedly, the date Hernán Cortes, Spanish explorer, introduced chocolate to Spain. Chocolate was originally consumed by the Mayans of Central America. The Aztecs discovered cacao when they took control of Mayan lands in trade expansion. Known as “food of the gods,” it became so valued that only the nobility was allowed to partake of it. Emperor Moctezuma served a chocolate beverage flavored with vanilla in cups of gold. The Spaniards were impressed.

Back in Spain, the Spaniards added sugar to the bitter brew and chocolate soon became all the rage with the nobility. From 1521 until 1600, Spain had a virtual monopoly on the trade in cacao from the New World. Only after that did the British, Dutch and French expand cultivation of the treasured cacao in other parts of the world (Indonesia, Africa, the West Indies). 

Spain still has a passion for thick, drinking chocolate. What is surprising is that they invented few desserts based on chocolate. Even if you spell it “mus” or call it “espuma,” chocolate mousse is still French. 

I’m making a chilled, no-bake chocolate tart. 

Easy to make, no baking required--rich chocolate tart.

 

Tart has a crunchy crumb crust, creamy filling and intense chocolate ganache topping.

Peanuts on top and peanut butter in the filling add depth to the chocolate.

No-Bake Chocolate Tart

Tarta de Chocolate sin Horno

This tart needs to be chilled at least 8 hours to firm it up. It also can be frozen. 

Use any dark chocolate (from 54 to 70 percent). If you’re using very bittersweet chocolate, you may want to add sugar to the filling mix. 

Galletas for crumb crust.

Unbaked crumb crust needs butter to set up firm, so this is one recipe in which olive oil doesn’t substitute well. Use plain cookies, such as Spanish galletas Marías, digestives, vanilla wafers or graham crackers to make the crumbs for the crust. 

A food processor works well for grinding the crumbs and mixing the cream cheese and chocolate for the filling.

Chop the chocolate to make melting easier. Melt it over hot water or in the microwave.

PX Sherry, a sweet, raisiny wine, adds a subtle fruity taste to the chocolate. If you don’t have it, use a tablespoon of milk to mix the filling.

For the crumb crust:

12 ounces galletas (plain cookies) to make 3 1/3 cups crumbs

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon peanut butter

½ cup melted butter (3 ½ ounces)

Grease a 9-inch springform mold. 

Grind the galletas in a food processor to make fine crumbs. (Save 2 tablespoons of the crumbs for the topping.) Add the cocoa powder to the crumbs and process again. Add the peanut butter and combine. With the processor running, pour in the melted butter and process until the crumbs come together in a ball.  

Spread the crumb-butter mixture evenly in the springform pan. Use a large spoon or flat plate to press it firmly. Refrigerate the crumb crust at least 1 hour before filling.

For the chocolate filling:

7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1 ½ cups cream cheese (12 ounces), softened

1 ¼ cups mascarpone (9 ounces), softened

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon PX (sweet raisin wine)

Pinch of salt

Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of boiling water. Heat the chocolate without stirring until most of it appears melted. Stir the chocolate until smooth and remove it from the heat. Let it cool before incorporating in the filling mixture.

Combine the cream cheese and mascarpone in the bowl of a food processor. Process until they are smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and process again. With the processor running, pour in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla, the PX wine and the salt. 

Pour the chocolate filling into the chilled crumb crust. Spread it evenly. Cover the pan with plastic film and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

For the topping:

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

½ cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts

1 galleta

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan. Bring it just to a boil. Immediately remove and pour over the chocolate. Let it stand 5 minutes to soften the chocolate. Then stir until chocolate is completely smooth.

Place the peanuts and galleta in a mini-processor and process until coarsely chopped. 

To finish the tart:

Loosen the sides of the tart in the springform pan. Release the side and carefully remove it. Place the tart on a cake dish. Pour the chocolate topping evenly over the top of the tart, letting excess drip over the sides. 

Sprinkle the top with the mixture of chopped peanuts and galleta. 

Return the tart to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Thanks to Sharman Haley, who gifted me with a 1 3/4-pound block of dark chocolate. Sharman is the granddaughter of the founder of Brown & Haley (Tacoma, WA), makers of Almond Roca and other chocolates.

More recipes with chocolate:

Chocolate-Fig Bonbons.

Dark Chocolate Cream Custards.

Hot Drinking Chocolate.

Cake with White Chocolate Mousse.

Frozen Torte with Chocolate Filling (Tarta Helada).