Written By:  Rachel Gnagy

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

(Recipe originally from here)

Okay, so chocolate and raspberries? You can’t get much better than that. You already know that I’m a fan of strawberries (remember the Strawberry Shortcake Scones?). Raspberries are right up there.

I love raspberries.

Every time I eat a perfectly ripe berry, it takes me back to my childhood. Our neighbors across the street had a lovely garden with lots of raspberries. We ate fresh raspberries all the time during the summer.

Enough reminiscing… let’s get down to chocolate-raspberry business. This recipe is super simple and oh-so-delish.

You will need:

• 8 ounces of chocolate wafer cookies (I actually used chocolate animal crackers)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• Coarse salt
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 6 ounces of fresh raspberries

The original recipe says to use a food processor for this first step. Since I don’t have one, I used my blender. It seemed to work fairly well. Put the cookies, sugar, and 1/2 tsp. of coarse salt into your food processor/blender. Blend until everything becomes fine crumbs. Add in the butter and pulse just until the butter is combined with the crumbs. Press the crumbs into a 9-inch fluted tart pan.

*Recipe note – Depending on the kind of pan you have, the top and bottom of the tart may be different. On the pans that I have, the bottom of the pan actually forms the top of the tart. Just make sure that the bottom is flat so it will rest evenly on a cake stand or platter and the top of the tart will be able to contain the filling.

Feel free to make a mess on your counter like I did. That just adds to the fun of baking, right?

Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until the crust is set and dry, approximately 20 minutes. Set it aside to cool. Remove the crust from the pan to a platter or cake stand.

Combine the chocolate chips with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream to a light simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as it reaches a light simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate mixture. Let it stand for one minute, then mix gently until the chocolate chips are completely melted. The filling should be thick and smooth. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

Wash the raspberries and pat dry. Just before serving, scatter the berries on top of the tart.

Doesn’t it look impressive? I love the little ridges on the edge of the tart and the pretty raspberries on top. The chocolate filling is perfect – not too bitter and not too sweet. And I love the coarse salt in the recipe. It adds just enough saltiness to balance out the richness of the chocolate.

Now sit down and enjoy a slice of your lovely tart. Bon appetit!