BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TART WITH SEA SALT

There is only one thing, in my opinion, that needs to be made on the week of Valentine’s day, and that is anything containing chocolate (and lots of it). It could be big or small, fancy or simple, but for my taste, it should come as close to an elevated form of a pure chocolate truffle as humanly possible. This tart, one I developed ages ago for my very first book, has stood the test of time and lives up brilliantly to the call. Thanks to its press-in crust (no rolling or pastry mastery required), it couldn’t be simpler. The inside, little more than a glorified ganache, set and baked with an egg, is pure chocolate bliss. You’ll need a tart pan with a removable bottom, and the best chocolate bricks or bars you can find, and the rest is as simple as is gets, my friends.

Skip on down for the recipe, and happiest week of love to you. xo

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Sea Salt

reprinted with permission from The Newlywed Cookbook

Crust

½ cup/115 g unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp sugar

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of fine sea salt

1 cup/115 g all-purpose/plain flour

Filling

½ cup/120 ml heavy cream

½ cup/120 ml whole milk

2 tbsp sugar

Pinch of fine sea salt

7 oz/200 g high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 large egg, beaten

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or Smoked sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.

make the crust: Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and stir until it feels like damp sand. Press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of an 8-in/20-cm square or 9-in/ 23-cm round tart pan/flan tin with a removable bottom {which makes it much easier to remove the tart in one piece. If you don’t have a tart pan/flan tin, you can make this tart in a springform pan; press the dough evenly across the bottom and only about 1¼ to 1½ in/3 to 4 cm up the side of the pan}.

Use wax/greaseproof paper or buttered fingers to even out and press the dough tightly into the corners. Prick the crust all over with a fork and chill in the fridge until ready to bake, about 30 minutes.

Set the pan on a baking sheet/tray and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes. make the filling: While the crust bakes, bring the cream, milk, sugar, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate.

Let it sit for about 2 minutes, without stirring. Starting in the middle of the pan, whisk together until the chocolate is evenly melted and the mixture is smooth and a shiny dark brown.

Whisk the beaten egg into the chocolate filling and pour the filling directly into the hot crust.

Decrease the oven to 300° F/150°C/gas 2 and return the tart to the oven. Bake until the filling is set, but still a little wiggly in the center, about 15 minutes {temperatures vary from oven to oven, so the visual clue is more important than time}. Set your timer for 13 minutes. If it looks mostly set at that point, test it by opening the oven door a crack and carefully jiggle the tart pan/ flan tin with the edge of your oven mitt. Only the center third should wobble. If it wobbles all the way to the edge, close the door quickly and continue baking about 2 minutes more.

Remove the tart and cool completely on a rack at room temperature. Just before the tart cools and sets completely, sprinkle a few large flakes of smoked salt on the surface, or leave plain. Remove the tart from the pan sides and carefully transfer to a platter before serving. Let it cool just until it slices easily. It melts in your mouth when served slightly warm, with a dollop of crème fraiche, if you wish, for extra decadence. Or cool completely, and serve by itself.

Cook’s Note. The deep, smoky flavor of smoked sea salt is a fine complement to the rich chocolate, but this tart is just as elegant with big flakes of Maldon, or if you’re a chocolate purist, no salt at all.

SERVES 6 to 8 (OR 2 indulgent chocolate lovers)

TIME: 15 MINUTES

P.S. this was one of the RARE times I was able to make and shoot anything with my son by my side, without any casualties (except that tiny nibble of missing crust you can see in the corner of the plated pie, above). For that alone, he gets a shout-out and a photo. He’s my funny valentine, of course.

---

**This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.**  images belong to Sarah Copeland, and should not be pinned or posted without attribution. **

• Photo + Styling // SARAH COPELAND