This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is one that works well with the festive season and is the sort of sweet treat you might expect to find in a beautiful French pâtisserie. Chestnuts always say “Christmas” to me and here, they are nestled in a rich chocolate ganache encased in a sweet, short pastry crust. It’s like Christmas in a tarte.
You start out by making Dorie’s sweet tart dough which comes together like a dream (even without a food processor as I was here in France). I love that you can press the crust into the pan, no rolling out required. While the crust is chilling, you prepare the (cooked) chestnuts which you poach for about 45 minutes in a sugar syrup. They soften a little but not entirely. Then you scatter them on the base of the crust.
A rich chocolate ganache (think chocolate, eggs and butter!) tops the chestnuts then the tart is baked at a low temperature for about 30 minutes. It’s a beautiful tart once cooked that really does hold its shape when you cut into it…
Packed with chestnuts, it is, indeed, a rich tart. Almost a little too rich for me (!!! I KNOW!!!) but as I enjoyed this on our terrace yesterday afternoon (crazy 17˚C temperatures here in Nérac!) I had visions of making tiny bite-sized versions of this, yup minifying as I love to do! I think given the richness, this would be fabulous as tiny petits fours… In the meantime, friends and neighbours are getting slivers of this on their “holiday treats” plates 🙂
You can find Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for Chocolate Chestnut Tart with Vanilla Chestnut Syrup on page 172 of Baking Chez Moi or an adapted version here.
Tuesdays with Dorie participants don’t publish the recipes on our blogs, so you’re encouraged to purchase Baking Chez Moi for yourself which you can do on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store in your country) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us, baking our way through the book!
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This was a terrific tart, wasn’t it. I loved it. Just a shame that chestnuts are both hard to get and expensive in Oz.
I just can’t stop thinking about this tart and I made it in the last round!. I actually bought more chestnuts at the store last weekend so I can make this again since they do keep. Yumm!
We loved this tart too. Enjoy your time in France and stay warm. Happy Holidays!
I really loved this tart and serving small portions is the way to go. It is truly rich but so
delicious. Have a great Christmas and enjoy your time in France.
Gorgeous and I love that you got to make this in France (even if you had to make do without the food processor :). It was indeed a very festive dessert and I liked your description of it being “Christmas in a tarte”. What’s not to love. Keep those photos of France coming…I am living vicariously through your travels……Merry Christmas !!
You are right–these would be great minis! Love the ganache…reminds me of a truffle. Happy Christmas to you!
Oh boy… it looks so good but, as you say, extremely rich. In small serves… no problem.
It was quite rich, but still delicious! Happy New Year!
Yum, yum, yum, this looks delicious! And I can only imagine how much more delicious they would be in mini form! Well done!