Chocolate Tart Recipe

Make dough

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add cold cubed butter and rub or pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Bind dough

Whisk egg yolk, vanilla extract and ice water in a small bowl. Add to flour-butter mixture and gently mix with a spatula or pulse just until the dough begins to come together. Do not overwork—the dough should hold when pinched but not be sticky.

Chill and roll

Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes (up to 2 hours). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness to fit a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Transfer gently to the pan, pressing into edges and trimming excess. Chill the lined tart shell for 20 minutes to prevent shrinkage.

Blind bake

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the tart shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 8–10 more minutes until set and edges are firm. Let cool slightly, then lower oven to 325°F (160°C) for final drying if needed (optional). Cool completely on a rack.

Prepare chocolate

Place chopped bittersweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

Heat cream

In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, granulated sugar and salt. Heat over medium until just simmering (small bubbles at the edge), do not boil.

Combine and emulsify

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit 1–2 minutes. Gently whisk from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Add room-temperature butter and vanilla extract and whisk until fully incorporated. Let the ganache cool 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable.

Fill tart

Place the cooled tart shell on a flat surface. Pour the warm ganache into the shell, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Tap gently to remove air bubbles. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the filling is set.

Cook compote

In a small saucepan combine mixed berries, granulated sugar, lemon juice and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries break down and the mixture thickens slightly, about 6–8 minutes. If you prefer a smoother compote, mash gently with a spoon or pulse briefly with an immersion blender.

Finish

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature; compote will thicken as it cools. Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon if needed.

Assemble

When the ganache is fully set, spoon the fruit compote over one side of the tart or make small pools around the tart as desired. Alternatively, serve compote on the side. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar if using and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Serve

Slice with a hot, dry knife (wipe between cuts) and serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; add compote just before serving to keep tart texture.