I’ll start with this: they’re worth it. The contrast between the rich, creamy chocolate filling (like the chocolate pudding of your childhood, but better) and the flaky chocolate crust that cradles it is sublime, and the garnish of fruity olive oil and sea salt complements both in deliciously unexpected ways. When I serve them, the table goes silent until they’re gone (except for three year-old Julia who looked up from her plate and said, “Wow, Papa, this is really delicious!”).
But I also have to tell you that they’re kind of a pain in the neck to make. As you’ll see below, there are lots of steps –melting, mixing, straining, baking, chilling, etc. –to making both the pudding filling and the blind-baked crust. And the filling needs to cool completely to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for six hours before you can use it, so it’s difficult to make and serve this dessert in the same day. So save this recipe for when you’re in the mood for a full-on pastry project, and make at least the filling a day or two before. You won’t be sorry.
Recipe
(Adapted from Chocolate Budino Tartlets with Sea Salt and Olive Oil in A16 Food +Wine by Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren. Serves 12.)
Ingredients
For the filling:
7 ounces (200g) bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 1/2 ounces (45g) milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) sugar
five egg yolks
2 cups (475ml) heavy cream
For the tart shells:
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 3/4 cups (415ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (120ml) unsweetened cocoa powder
7 ounces (200g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (120ml) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
To garnish:
Extra virgin olive oil and unrefined sea salt
Instructions
For the filling:
1. Preheat the oven to 300F (150C).
2. Place a heatproof bowl over a large saucepan containing barely simmering water. (Make sure that the bowl does not touch the water.) Put both chocolates in the bowl and leave them to melt.
3. Warm the milk in a small pot over medium heat just until it begins to simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, and then gradually whisk in the warm milk.
4. When the chocolate has melted, remove it from the heat and stir it until it’s smooth. Strain the egg mixture thought a fine-mesh strainer into the melted chocolate and stir until combined.
5. In a small pot, heat half of the cream over medium heat just until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and gradually stir the warm cream into the chocolate mixture. Then stir in the remaining cream.
6. Pour the filling into a small (about 8 inches or 20c) baking pan or dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pan in another, larger baking dish and fill half way up the sides of the pan containing the filling with hot tap water. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the edges appear set, but the middle remains loose and runny.
7. Remove the dish or pan from the water bath and whisk the filling until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into another shallow dish, allow to cool completely and then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Do not stir the filling as it cools or you will change the texture. (The filling can be held covered tightly in the fridge for at least 3 days, although watch out for pudding thieves.)
For the tart shells:
1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream and set aside.
2. In another bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder and set aside.
3. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes.
4. Stop the mixer, add the flour mixture all at once and then mix on low speed until barely incorporated, about 1 minute.
5. Drizzle in the yolk mixture and mix briefly.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for a couple of minutes until it comes together completely. Form it into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 4 days.
7. Lightly butter twelve tartlet pans 3 1/2 to 4 inches (9-10c) in diameter and about 3/4 inch (2c) deep. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough about 1/8 inch (1/3c) thick and cut out 4-inch (10c) rounds. (I found that a standard plastic quart or pint storage container makes a perfect cutter.) Press a round into each pan starting from the center and working your way to the edges; trim away the excess at the rim. (Tartlet pans with non-stick surfaces and/or removable bottoms are nice to have, but the plain cheap ones work fine here too.)
8. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Transfer the pans to the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking (to minimize shrinkage).
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until dry and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and then gently remove the cooled tart shells from the pans and set aside. (If you can, make a couple extra — I always seem to break at least one.)
To assemble:
Spoon the filling into each tart shell and smooth with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. There’s no need to serve immediately, but serve them within, say, three or four hours of assembly for best results. The shells (in an airtight container) and the filling (in the fridge) keep well for several days, though, so you can get the fiddly work done in advance and/or stage a repeat performance of this extraordinarily delicious sweet.
When it’s time to serve, drizzle each tart with a generous teaspoon of your best, fruity extra-virgin olive oil and then sprinkle with a generous pinch of coarse sea salt.
