Chocolate ganache tart

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Sift 180 g all-purpose flour, 20 g cocoa powder, 60 g powdered sugar and a pinch salt into a bowl, add 110 g cold diced unsalted butter and quickly rub it in with your fingertips, then add 36 g egg yolks and bring the dough together with a spatula. Butter that stays cold creates tiny pockets that make the crust crisp and tender rather than hard. The dough is ready when it just comes together, smooth and dark brown with no large streaks of butter.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Press the dough into a flat disc about two centimeters thick, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. A good rest relaxes the gluten and firms up the butter, so the crust shrinks less in the oven. The dough is ready when it's firm but still gives slightly when pressed.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a round about three millimeters thick and about four centimeters wider than the tart pan, lay it in the pan, press it into the bottom and sides, then roll the rolling pin over the rim to trim off the excess. Rolling between parchment means you don't need extra dusting flour, which would leave pale patches on the crust. This step is done when the crust fits the pan snugly, is evenly thick and has a neat edge.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, then put the whole pan in the freezer for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C. A hard, chilled crust keeps its sides upright in the heat. The shell is ready when it feels as hard as cardboard.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Line the tart shell with a sheet of parchment paper, fill it with pie weights or rice and bake at 180°C for about 15 to 18 minutes. The weights hold down the bottom so it doesn't puff up and keep the sides from slipping down. Move on to the next step when the edge of the crust is dry and no longer shiny with butter.

   Bake at 180°C for about 15 to 18 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Lift out the parchment and weights, bake the bare shell at 180°C for another 8 to 10 minutes, then let it cool completely. A cocoa crust burns easily and is hard to judge by color, so rely on smell and dryness instead. The shell is done when the bottom is dry, feels firm and smells of toasted cocoa.

   Bake at 180°C for about 8 to 10 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Chop 250 g dark chocolate and put it in a bowl, heat 250 g heavy cream with 15 g honey over medium heat until it's just bubbling at the edges, pour it over the chocolate, wait two minutes, then stir from the center outward and finally add 30 g softened unsalted butter. Stirring from the center creates a smooth emulsion, while the honey and butter give the ganache a beautiful shine. The ganache is ready when it's uniform, mirror-glossy and falls from the whisk in a silky ribbon.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Pour the ganache into the cooled tart shell, tilt the pan gently to level the surface, pop any air bubbles with a toothpick, then chill for at least two hours. The ganache needs time in the cold to crystallize, which is what gives clean slices that don't run. The tart is ready when the surface of the ganache turns slightly matte and is no longer sticky to the touch.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Take the tart out of the fridge about fifteen minutes before serving, sprinkle a pinch flaky sea salt on top, then cut it with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice. A warm knife melts the ganache slightly as it glides through, so the cut is smooth and flat. The tart is ready when each slice clearly shows the two layers of crust and filling and the filling looks glossy and smooth.

   Mark step 9 as done