Not then, not now, not ever

The first time I went to France, I was eight years old. It would be the very first time I'd travel outside of Greece and the very first time I'd get on an airplane. I remember feeling so excited about the prospect that I couldn't sleep for days before the trip.






My dad, mom, my brother and I were about to embark on a winter vacation around France with some very close friends of my parents, one of whom was French, and their three kids.






We traveled to Lyon and Grenoble, Rouen and Bordeaux and of course Paris. That was the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, the first time I tasted crème brûlée and tarte tatin aux pommes (with apples) and the first time I spoke French. The eldest daughter of my parents' friends taught me a single phrase and I managed to drive everyone crazy by repeating it again and again.






Even though it's been more than twenty years since that first visit to France, my memories are still incredibly vivid. One of those memories involves a lot of chocolate and a serious tummy ache. I couldn't control myself when it came to chocolate; not then, not now, not ever. And chocolate was again on my mind when S and I visited Paris late last month. Chocolate and our anniversary.






S and I have been together for many years and this anniversary was really special to us. So when he suggested that we take a short trip to Paris in order to celebrate it in style, I jumped for joy. He didn't have to say it twice.






Paris is only a two and a half hour train (Thalys) ride from Rotterdam which in turn is only a half hour train ride from The Hague were we live. It is ridiculously close and we couldn't believe we haven't ventured into France sooner.






Apart from all the wonderful places that we visited during our stay, the sights and sounds of the city that we soaked in, the tantalizing food that we enjoyed, I also could not resist the allure of the patisseries of Paris. Being an obsessive chocoholic, it was only natural.






The most memorable dessert experience was the tasting of a layered, bitter chocolate dessert from Pierre Hermé. S and I decided to share it (big mistake) and in the end we were fighting over the last bite. We couldn't get over how smooth and light its texture was.






Since returning from Paris, I have been yearning for the sinful decadence of chocolate. So what if it's summer and most people go for fruity desserts? This French chocolate tart or tarte au chocolat never ceases to excite me. It's not your ordinary tart though with a crust and a filling. It is a light, moist cake almost like a sponge cake, with a luscious chocolate glaze.





The eggs and sugar are beaten together ferociously until a mousse-like texture is achieved and then the sifted flour is rained and folded in, followed by the melted chocolate. You put the mixture in the oven and once baked, out comes a silky cake that is then covered with a rich chocolate glaze that intensifies its flavor.






This voluptuous tart has an extraordinary flavor and a velvety texture that, dear reader, you must try. It's all that you'll ever want from a chocolate tart and more.













Tarte au Chocolat - French Chocolate Tart
Adapted from Georges Blanc

The most important ingredient of this tart is of course the chocolate. Use good quality chocolate; it will make all the difference.

The dusting of cocoa powder over the chocolate glaze gives a bitter finish (which I love) to the tart, balancing its sweetness. You can omit the cocoa powder, leaving the tart looking all glossy from the chocolate glaze.






Yield: 1 tart/ 8-10 servings

Ingredients
130 g good quality dark 55% chocolate, roughly chopped
100 g butter, unsalted plus extra for buttering the tart pan
4 medium-sized eggs
150 g sugar
50 g all-purpose flour, sifted

for the chocolate glaze
100 g good quality dark 55% chocolate, roughly chopped
80 ml cream, full-fat
20 g butter, unsalted

Dutch-processed cocoa powder for dusting over the tart

Special equipment: sieve, stand or hand-held mixer, fluted tart pan 28 cm in diameter with removable bottom


Preparation
Butter well the bottom and sides of the tart pan.

Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring often and making sure the chocolate doesn't burn. The bottom of the bowl must not come in contact with the simmering water. Once the mixture is smooth and melted, remove bowl from the top of the pan and set aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl and with a hand held mixer), beat the eggs with the sugar on high speed until you have a mixture with a mousse-like texture, that is fluffy and airy. Fold in the sifted flour with a spatula, being careful not to knock all the air out of the mixture. Then fold in the cooled melted chocolate. The batter will become less airy and will deflate a bit but that's normal.


Empty the batter into the buttered tart pan and place it on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with some dry crumbs attached to it or even clean.

Place the tart pan on a wire rack so the tart can cool slightly and then remove the sides of the pan leaving that tart on its base. Let tart cool completely.

for the chocolate glaze
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate glaze.
Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring often and making sure the chocolate doesn't burn. The bottom of the bowl must not come in contact with the simmering water. Once the mixture is smooth and melted, remove bowl from the top of the pan. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan and pour it into the melted chocolate. Beat cream well into the chocolate mixture using a spatula.

When the tart has cooled, pour the chocolate glaze over the top and with the help of an offset spatula, spread the glaze around. Allow the glaze to cool off and set before dusting the top of the tart with the cocoa powder.

Keep the tart covered, at room temperature, for 3-4 days.