Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Using My Senses

Thanks to a friend's suggestion, that is gonna be the theme for today’s post. 

It began with seeing this photo. The sight of that silky, smooth ganache made me lusty for a slice. I had to make that tart. 
Which brings me to the next sense. While thankfully one can’t hear desserts, (Bake Me, Eat Me!), the word ‘tart’ when said aloud, whispers mischief, inappropriateness and decadence.
And so, I set about making this easy Chocolate Ganache Tart. The beauty of this dessert is it’s no fuss base. It’s simple to make and results in a crisp, buttery crust. It’s such a joy to firmly press the dough with one’s palms into a pie plate. I can still feel the warmth and softness of the dough in my hands. It was smooth and did not cling to the fingers as dough is sometimes likely to.

But the most sensual part has to be stirring a big bowl of molten dark chocolate, just like Vianne does in Chocolat. The aroma of that concoction as I add various ingredients to it is really the high point of my baking. The smell stays with me long after the dessert is gone. To amp up the flavor, I decided to add some ground cardamom after reading this

And that ruined the taste for me. The elaichi gave the dark chocolate a bitter, unpleasant edge. In order to salvage the taste and to add decorative value, I sprinkled some sliced almonds over it. Sadly, the tart was beyond repair. 
Yup, that gorgeous looking tart you see on my FB page does not live upto its impression. Yet, it’s a start and here’s hoping that I’ll be back soon to report on a chocolate tart that satisfies.

Notes: I used this recipe for the tart base. I have learnt that the elaichi should be added to the base and not to the chocolate. I found my ganache too rich and creamy for my liking. So, till I find and post my favourite ganache recipe, its Google Zindabad!.

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