Dark Chocolate Tart

Show Mom the love by baking her this “Dark Chocolate Tart” for Mother’s Day! Easy to make, key is using the best bittersweet chocolate you can find. I use Guittard bittersweet chocolate (74% cacao) in bars.

This is Ina Garten’s recipe in her Go-To Dinners, inspired by Erin French’s The Lost Kitchen cookbook. I have lovingly adapted it a bit more. This recipe is a simple graham cracker crust with a chocolate mousse filling and a chocolate ganache topping glaze, lightly sprinkled with flaky sea salt, such as Maldon. For serving, garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh mint or a few raspberries. A truly luxurious chocolate dessert, perfect for Mom on her special day!

The recipe calls for Nabisco chocolate wafers, which are sometimes hard to find. I found at Trader Joe’s a 16-ounce package of cinnamon graham crackers (in their cookie section) that I substitute 9 ounces in for the crust, and it is a lovely addition. These cinnamon graham crackers grind well in a food processor.

Dark Chocolate Tart

• For the crust:

• 1 (9-ounce) box Nabisco chocolate wafers

• ¼ cup sugar

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• For the filling:

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (6½ ounces) (see note)

• 1¼ cups heavy cream

• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• For the glaze:

• ½ cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (3 ounces)

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• ¼ teaspoon coffee granules

• ½ teaspoon flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chocolate wafers and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely ground. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the butter, and mix until well incorporated. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, for the filing, place the 1 cup of chocolate in a medium glass bowl. Heat the cream until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, allow it to sit for 1 minute, then stir gently with a whisk until smooth (see note). Stir the eggs and vanilla into the chocolate until smooth and pour into the tart shell. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the chocolate is set on the edges but still jiggly in the middle. Set aside to cool.

For the glaze, put the ½ cup chocolate and the coffee in a glass bowl. Heat the cream to simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Gently pour over the chocolate filling (not the crust) and spread to the inside edge of the crust with a knife or offset spatula. Sprinkle with the salt and set aside at room temperature until set. Remove the rim of the tart pan and place the tart on a flat serving plate. Cut in wedges (don’t worry if the crust crumbles) and serve at room temperature.

Notes:

If either chocolate & cream mixture doesn’t melt completely, heat in a microwave for 15 seconds.

Bon Appétit, Bon Weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day…Bonnie

Morning Glory Muffin With Fruit

Evidently the Morning Glory Muffin recipe has been around for a while, but is new to me this fall. I saw this recipe recently from my saved October 2018 Victoria magazine.

Ina Garten has a similar Morning Glory Muffin recipe which she made famous at Barefoot Contessa. There are a few different ingredients such as using all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour and adding sweetened shredded coconut. Garten’s recipe was inspired by the muffins made at the Morning Glory Cafe on Nantucket. You can also find this recipe in her cookbook, Cook Like A Pro.

Regardless of which recipe you use, this comforting muffin is full of goodies with grated carrots, Granny Smith apples, crushed pineapple, raisins, pecans, and more. One could describe the Morning Glory Muffin as similar to eating a piece of carrot cake without the icing.

Morning Glory Muffins

Lovingly Adapted from Victoria 2018 Magazine

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup cored and grated Granny Smith apple

1 (8-ounce) crushed pineapple, drained

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 9 jumbo muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Recipe Note: I used the standard muffin tin with tulip papers, which made approximately 16 muffins total. Amazon has a nice assortment of tulip liners for baking.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together carrot, apple, pineapple, oil, and eggs. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in pecans and raisins. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Recipe Note: I baked muffins for about 20 minutes because they were standard muffin size and not jumbo muffins. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool slightly on wire racks. Remove paper or foil liners for serving if desired. Recipe Note: I like the tulip liners, so kept mine on. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Beatty’s Chocolate Cake

Show your loved ones how much you care and love them, by baking this treat for Valentine’s Day, Beatty’s Chocolate Cake from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home (2006) cookbook. This is a really rich, moist chocolate cake made with buttermilk and freshly brewed hot coffee added to the cake batter, and instant coffee powder added to the icing. Make sure you use a good quality cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate, and not chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers.

“Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot people; it does for me.”

— Audrey Hepburn

It is definitely an old-fashioned cake, which harkens back to the days when milk was delivered to your doorstep by a milkman. This cake calls for two 8” round cake pans. Initially, I thought the cake wasn’t going to be very high. However, not the case, this recipe makes two very thick cake layers, and a beautiful presentation with the chocolate buttercream frosting.

“Romance is the icing but love is the cake.”

— Julia Child

A little culinary secret for you that you may or may not know. A little coffee flavor greatly enhances and heightens chocolate flavor. Further layer the coffee flavor theme, and serve this delicious cake with coffee ice cream or coffee gelato. A home run!

Over the years I have shared special chocolate dessert recipes. See below for more fabulous chocolate recipes you can make for Valentine’s Day.

More Related Posts
A Perfect Dessert to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Jim Dodge Chocolate Pecan Cake

February is Love

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Autumn Moving Towards Thanksgiving at Bates Nut Farm

A large part of a relaxed Thanksgiving at home with family and friends is careful planning and smart organization. Here are some of my following tips and suggestions to help you with this. If by chance you are travelling this year, well, that is another story!

Organize Yourself

1) Get haircuts, manicures, pedicures, in advance of Thanksgiving.

2) Take in your dry cleaning, tailoring, well in advance.

3) Shop in advance for any necessary wardrobe details.

4) Make sure you have tables and adequate seating for your Thanksgiving crowd.

5) Have your home and garden in order.

6) Polish your silver, copper, and pull out your favorite soup tureen, if using.

Organize Your Thanksgiving Menu

1) Plan your menu. Find your recipes. Check for food allergies. Plan your menu timeline.

2) Check your pantry for ingredients to have on hand. You don’t want to be running last minute to the store for pumpkin pie spice, apple cider, vanilla extract, etc.

3) Delegate menu dishes. Take family and friends up on helping with the cooking and baking, by bringing one of their favorite sides or desserts.

4) Make it ahead, as much as you can! We all know Ina Garten has written a very popular cookbook, Make It Ahead, that details out recipes for making ahead, even Roast Turkey & Gravy, and other delicious recipes.

5) Look back on previous Thanksgiving menus for a refresher. I keep a journal of my dinner party, cooking class, special events, and holiday menus as a reference. Make your traditional dishes, but try a few new ones too.

Create Your Table

1) Set your table a few days in advance, using your preferred tablecloths, napkins, dinnerware, candles, and glassware. Maybe you will want to use your best china and silver, maybe you will want to mix and match vintage finds with character. There are no set rules, only that you love what you create for your table.

2) Keep table decorations low and beautiful for easy conversation and communication with everyone. Think natural centerpieces from the garden such as rosemary sprigs, pyracantha berries, pomegranates, and small pumpkins.

3) Dining by candlelight is magical. Reserve scented candles and votives for perhaps the foyer and powder room. Let your guests enjoy wafting scents of their feast cooking and baking.

4) Allow enough space at the table for each guest, so they don’t feel crowded and cramped.

5) Create a special kids table, young adults, grandchildren, or cousins table. A special table creates a special ambience.

The Art of Seating a Table

1) Consider making fun place cards for your table, especially if you are having more than six people. It is worth creating a good seating plan.

2) Separate couples and partners. Seat extroverts next to introverts. Seat people next to people they have never met before for interesting conversation.

3) As host or hostess, make sure you have easy access to the kitchen from the table.

Make Your Thanksgiving Day Special and Fun!

1) Invite family, friends that are family, new friends, and strays. Invite them into your kitchen to nibble on appetizers, and help with last minute details.

2) Except for photo taking or FaceTiming long distance loved ones, ask everyone to leave their phones, electronics, etc. by the door. Concentrate on engaging conversations. If you do have long distance loved ones to contact on Thanksgiving, designate a special time to call, so as not to be interrupted as you are sitting down at the table.

3) Plan a Thanksgiving playlist that sets the mood, and carries the day effortlessly. There are many, many playlists to choose from on Pandora, Amazon Music, iHeart. Traditional Thanksgiving Music, Thanksgiving for Kids, George Winston Autumn, Thanksgiving Piano Music, Thanksgiving Country, Swingin’ Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving Classic Music. Better yet, if you have musical family and friends, encourage them to play a little for everyone throughout the day/evening.

4) Set up a self-serve bar with Champagne, Cocktails, Wine, Sparkling Water, and maybe a Holiday Punch.

5) Plan your day as a marathon, rather than a sprint. Allow time for socializing and mingling. Spread your menu over several courses such as salad, main course and sides, cheese plate, and finally desserts. It is a shame to spend hours in the kitchen, to have Thanksgiving meal finished in twenty minutes. Pause, and pace.

6) Take a break before desserts for a walk on the beach, walking the dog, walking in the woods, catching the sunset, or enjoying a cozy fire. Live in the moment the whole day.

7) Pull out the family albums of years past to look at. Encourage everyone to share stories and fun times.

8) Be ready with games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, Yahtzee, Scrimmage, Charade, or cards for everyone to enjoy! Later in the evening, maybe there is a traditional family movie you always watch together, or share a special movie together.

9) Designate a special someone in advance, to say grace and a blessing for Thanksgiving. It can be someone who does it beautifully each year, or someone new each year. It could be even multiple people too!

10) Maybe you have a special volunteer clean-up crew who would like to help you out, by clearing the table, doing the dishes, and making “take it home” packages. Sure, take them up on that!

11) Ask everyone to wear a hat for fun!

Setting the Scene for a Perfect Thanksgiving

Remember to…

1) Live in the moment, especially on this very special day.

2) Really look at the smiles, twinkling eyes, and perhaps sounds of “oohs and ahhs” in response to the Thanksgiving feast.

3) Reflect on what you are thankful and grateful for in your life, and with surrounding loved ones.

4) Take in the aromas, scents of the beautiful food before you.

5) Think of loved ones, past and present who are not able to join you on this day.

Bon Appétit et Happy Thanksgiving….Bonnie

With the holiday, there will be no blog post next week!

A Table Set for Valentine’s Celebration

A few years ago I hosted some events around Valentine’s Day. I tried to create a special menu with the theme, “Love is Endlessly Delicious.” Many things I remember with fondness, but what I now associate Valentine’s Day with is Ina Garten’s Dark Chocolate Terrine with Orange Sauce the recipe I made for dessert. Wow, it is a show stopper!

This recipe is from Ina Garten Make it Ahead (2014) cookbook, which is one of my favorite cookbooks. The terrine can be prepared and made ahead, along with the orange sauce. Not a chocolate mousse, not a cake, it is like a decadent chocolate pâté. Garten channels two similar recipes, one from Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and the second, from the famous Taillevent restaurant in Paris, plus adding her Barefoot Contessa spin on it. Marvelous! It is a perfect dessert to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Making the Dark Chocolate Terrine

Recipe Notes: Use the best chocolate you can find. Garten recommends Lindt bittersweet chocolate. I used Guittard bittersweet chocolate found at Sprouts, Cardiff Seaside Market, and other specialty grocery stores in our immediate area. Valrhona bittersweet chocolate is another great choice.

The dark chocolate terrine needs to chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Don’t forget the Orange Sauce made with a touch of Grand Marnier liqueur and cognac, which is a perfect complement to the flavor and presentation of the dark chocolate terrine. Lastly, sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. A hot, dry knife helps to make your slices easier. Run your knife over hot water, dry, and slice, repeat if necessary. Recipe makes 10 servings, perfect for sharing with loved ones.

Please share if you make something special for your loved ones on Valentine’s Day!