Deep freeze birthdays



After a week of bitter wind and bone-freezing chills, Montreal is finally starting to warm up again. I saw the first signs of life on my Friday commute to work: even though they were bundled up as ever, people were walking with their heads up, not bent against the winter gales. There were even a few joggers out!  A good sign, no doubt. Ottawa was also stirring from its frozen slumber when I arrived on Friday night, a great way to start a birthday weekend with family.

For my mother’s birthday dinner, we went to Zen Kitchen, an excellent, intimate bistro in downtown Ottawa that serves gourmet vegan fare with a first-rate wine cellar. Vegan is not often associated with fine cuisine, but places like Zen prove that, in the hands of a talented and creative chef, meat and dairy-free ingredients can be turned into innovative, delectable dishes that are filling without being carb-ladden. So in anticipation of the night’s meal, my mother and I wanted to make a dessert that would be simple but luxurious, decadent (vegan-ism not being a requirement). We settled on a dark chocolate truffle tart with a thick, rich, barely sweet filling supported by a nutty graham cracker crust. Vanilla whipped mascarpone finished the dish, adding an airy creaminess to the intense truffle base and just enough sugar to bring out the sweetness of the graham cracker and to complement the deepest chocolate flavor.

Chocolate truffle tart with whipped vanilla mascarpone
From  “The Best of Fine Cooking – Chocolate” (Winter 2012)

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust
-       1 cup finely ground graham crackers (I used a food processor but a Ziploc bag and rolling pin work equally as well)
-       2 tbsp granulated sugar
-       3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Truffle filling
-       3/4 lbs (12 oz) good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
-       1 cup whole milk
-       ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
-       1 tsp pure vanilla extract
-       ¼ tsp table salt

Vanilla whipped mascarpone
-       1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
-       ¾ cup heavy cream
-       ¼ cup granulated sugar
-       ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

To make the crust

1.     Place a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350F. Have ready an ungreased 9½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
2.     In a medium bowl, mix the cookie crumbs and sugar with a fork until well blended. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and mix with a fork until crumbs are evenly moistened.
3.     Place the crumbs in the pan and spread over the bottom and sides of the pan. Use your fingers to pinch and press some of the crumbs around the inside edge of the pan to cover the sides evenly and create a wall about a scant ¼-inch thick.
4.     Redistribute the remaining crumbs over the bottom and press firmly to make a compact layer.
5.     Bake the crust until it smells nutty and fragrant (about 10 minutes). Set the baked crust on a rack and let cool.

To make the filling

1.     Melt the butter, chocolate and milk together in a medium bowl using a double boiler. Whisk in the vanilla and salt until smooth. Set aside, whisking occasionally, until room temperature and slightly thickened, about 1 hour (for faster cooling, place in the refrigerator until thickened to a pudding consistency, scraping down the sides of the bowl every 5 minutes with a rubber spatula).
2.     Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared crust, being careful not to disturb the edges. Let cool completely, cover and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

To make the vanilla whipped mascarpone

1.     In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, cream, sugar and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until almost smooth, 30 – 60 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is thick and hold firm peaks, about 1 minute. Do not overbeat.

To assemble: With a rubber or metal spatula, spread the whipped mascarpone over the set tart. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and serve with hot espresso (or Irish coffee).

Note: whip the mascarpone just before serving, or the peaks will deflate slightly (though will taste equally as good).

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