Way-Too-Much-Chocolate-For-One-Tart

(a hybrid recipe from Cafette, Jamie Oliver and an old issue of Food and Wine. Sorry not to be more specific...)

Take two eggs out of the fridge and set them on the counter. Now they'll be room temperature...

I use my 8" fluted tart pan with the removable bottom.  Line it with pate brisee (blind baked) or a cookie crust (1 and 1/2 cups cookie crumbs, 2 Tablespoons cocoa and 6 Tablespoons melted butter.) Lightly grease the tart pan, line with brisee and blind bake or combine cookie crumbs, cocoa and butter and pat into pan and up the sides. Don't be stingy. Bake the crumb crust for about 12 minutes, until it feels set. Let crust cool while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven set at 350. 

The Filling 
8 oz. good quality dark chocolate (the more bitter, 60-70%, the better. Trader Joes has a great selection...)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs, room temperature (see?)
1/3 cup heavy cream (there have been times when I didn't have heavy cream and used 3 Tablespoons of sour cream;
slightly different texture but still delicious)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of the liqueur of your fancy (I like Cointreau or Grand Marnier- if you want alcohol free, use vanilla extract)

This comes together pretty quickly which is why it's a gem. Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and the butter. Give it a stir, remove from over the heat and set aside. In a mixing bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, add the cream, the sugar, the pinch of salt and the liqueur (or vanilla). Whisk the chocolate/butter mixture gradually into the egg mixture. When it is combined, pour it into the pre-baked tart shell, place the pan on a baking sheet (1/4 sheet pan works for me) and bake for about 20 minutes in the pre-heated 350 degree oven. The edges of the tart will just start to crack and the middle of the tart will be jiggly. Set aside to cool. Personally, this tart is illegally delicious when it is still warm and I think that's when you should eat it. If you prefer more of a set truffle texture, you can cool it and chill it and then eat it. But why would you want to do that? You can slice this into tiny, little slivers and then go back for more. Which you will.        

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