Recipe#4055

Title: Chocolate Tarts

From: LKS laura21@ix.netcom.com 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking,rec.food.baking,rec.food.restaurants 
 Subject: Domaine Chandon's Gooey Molten Chocolate Cake 
 Date: Sun, 05 Oct 1997 16:02:15 -0400 
 Message-ID: <3437F247.7FFB@ix.netcom.com> 

makes 12
 13 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) butter
 pinch salt
 9 egg yolks 
 1/2 cup sugar
 3 egg whites
 Although it's made with whipped egg whites, this tart batter is
 quite thick and holds up well for several hours before baking.
 You can make the batter and fill the tart pans up to eight hours
 ahead, and then refrigerate the pans until you're ready to bake
 and serve the tarts.
 Bake the batter in four-inch, nonstick tart pans or non-stick muffin
 moulds. Brush each pan with melted butter and coat with flour.
 With a chef's knife, chop the chocolate into small pieces on a
 cutting board, keeping in mind that if you eat too many of the
 pieces, you'll alter the recipe. Cut up the butter and put it,
 along with the chocolate in a clean, dry, microwave-safe bowl. Add
 a pinch of salt in with the chocolate. Microwave on high for one
 minute, stir, and repeat for one minute or until the chocolate
 seems softened but still looks a some what chunky.  Remove from
 the microwave and stir to distribute the heat until the chocolate
 is completely smooth.
 Beat the egg yolks until thick; combine the egg yolks with all the
 sugar except two tablespoons. Beat on high speed with the whip
 attachment for about two minutes, until the mixture lightens in
 color and thickens in consistency. (ribbon stage) Fold the cooled
 chocolate mixture into the egg yolks with a rubber spatula until
 the mixture is homogeneous.
 Whip the egg whites until soft. Add the remaining two tablespoons
 of sugar to the egg whites and whip at high speed just until they
 form soft peaks.
 Gently fold it all in together: Scoop one third of the egg whites
 into the chocolate mixture. Scoop one-third of the egg whites into
 the chocolate mixture and, using a rubber spatula or large whisk,
 fold the mixture together until the eggs are evenly incorporated.
 Then add the remaining egg whites and lightly fold them in.
 Spoon the batter into the prepared tart or muffin pans so that the
 batter reaches about 1/2 inch from the top.  Cover the tarts with
 plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake them.
 Heat the oven to 475 degrees.  If you've prepared the tarts ahead
 of time, take them directly from the refrigerator to a baking sheet
 and put them in the oven.  Bake them for nine minutes if the batter
 has been chilled, but only for eight minutes, if you're baking them
 right away and the batter is room temperature.  They won't look
 done when you pull them out--the top may still have a spot or two
 of liquid batter and they'll jiggle like firm gelatin--but pull
 them out anyway. You want the outside of the tart to be like cake
 and the inside warm and runny. If you overbake them, the tart will
 be more cakey, but still delicious.  If you underbake them, the
 inside will be more saucey and won't be warm.
 The tarts should be served as soon as possible after leaving the
 oven, so while they're baking, prepare your plates.  Loosen the
 tarts, if necessary, by running a knife around the edges.  Then
 cover the tarts with a clean plate or baking sheet, flip over the
 tart pan and shake gently to loosen from the pan. Then scoop up to
 put on plate. Add a few fresh berries, a sprig of mint and a dusting
 of powdered sugar.
 Cooks Notes:
 I used 8 oz individual ceramic souffle dishes. They were not
 non-stick.  But I liberally greased and floured them and the tarts
 came out perfectly. It made 5-6 tarts. I baked them for 11-12
 minutes.
 I didn't microwave the chocolate; I used a double-boiler instead.
 I tossed in the whole 1/2 cup of sugar into the egg yolks. Then,
 I added an additional two tablespoons to the whites.
 Creme Anglaise also makes a nice sauce to have on the plate for
 the tarts.