Nothing says elegant, sophisticated chocolate raspberry tart like…a pig roast? I’d like to pretend that this dessert and post was inspired by a lazy afternoon stroll by the local farmer’s market where I stumbled upon beautiful pints of fresh picked raspberries. But I’d be lying… Yesterday was my best friend’s (see post Strawberry Hand Pies) husband’s birthday. He is currently in Italy. But we decided to celebrate his birthday without him. With a pig roast. Obviously!

Of course this special occasion (it’s his 30th birthday) called for a delicious dessert…one which includes cooked fruit…which he hates! My friend suggested something with chocolate and raspberries and after searching on epicurious for some time, I found a chocolate raspberry tart recipe. I’ve adapted the recipe quite a bit both for economical and flavor purposes (if you stuck with the original recipe you would probably end up spending about $30 on raspberries). The tart starts with a buttery chocolate crumb crust. It is then filled with a layer of chocolate ganache, followed by a layer of raspberry mascarpone cream filling. Finally, it is topped with fresh raspberries. It is the perfect ending for any elegant dinner party…or pig roast!

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Crust

1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer or Oreo cookie crumbs
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Raspberry Mascarpone Filling

1/4 cup raspberry puree (can use 6 0z. frozen raspberries instead of 12 oz. unless you want leftovers)
1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

2 pints of fresh raspberries

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in processor; process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until set, about 10 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.

For the ganache, scald the heavy cream over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Wait one minute and then whisk until combined. Chill in fridge for one hour and then spread over chocolate crust. Chill for at least another hour before spreading raspberry mascarpone filling on top.

For the filling, combine the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer. Using a whip attachment, beat until mixture is smooth and stiff peaks form. Fold in raspberry puree. Spread filling evenly over cooled chocolate ganache. Cover and refrigerate tart overnight.

Arrange fresh raspberries in concentric circles atop tart. Remove tart pan sides. Place tart on platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Read the original on: A Spoonful of Sugar