Mint is one of those truly versatile herbs -- it is a restorative as well as a curative. I keep a huge container of peppermint tea for evenings when I have overindulged in any form of gustatory glory -- its soothing warmth helps my stomach, head and body to feel better.
The smell of mint has two quite significant associations that add to its restorative powers for me. I am a little too in tune with my olfactory senses and one whiff of something I have grown attached to tends to send me into raptures.
The first attachment I have to mint is the warm heady scent of the leaves drying in the sun on a warm afternoon. My mom always planted multiple varieties of mint every spring in her herb garden and then just allowed their leaves to scent the entire yard. I have memories of lying on the chaise in summers long gone, studying for exams and all I could smell was mint. It isn't quite the same fragrance you get when you make mint tea but is a rounder more fulfilling bouquet that comes from rain-wet leaves basking in the afternoon sunbeams.
The second association is with peppermint candy canes, and more recently has evolved into the scent and flavour of peppermint sweets (because the only pairing that I do like with peppermint is chocolate). The flavour of peppermint candy takes me back to my childhood in a mere instant; specifically to sitting beside a Christmas tree, attempting to figure out what could be in the mammoth box beneath it marked "Jenny", whilst sucking on a candy cane…that is just such a perfect memory to me.
And those little chocolate After Eights? I couldn't get enough of the soft sweet peppermint enrobed in delicious chocolate when I was younger. I liked them so much I remember asking my dad if we could get them to change the name of them to "After Fives" so we could eat them earlier in the evening. This tart has a similar taste to those cute little chocolates and is the perfect dessert to serve after a substantial and scrumptious meal.
Chocolate-Peppermint Tart
The perfect end to any meal; light and refreshing but definitely a dessert with all that chocolate. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee - or even an after-dinner liqueur this is one of those quintessential desserts.
Ingredients:
Crust
11/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
seeds from one whole vanilla pod (or use vanilla sugar in place of regular)
1 teaspoon ice water
Filling
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
1 ounce white chocolate
Sugared Mint Leaves
4 mint leaves (or as many as you want)
1 egg white, whipped until just foamy
1/8 cup sugar in flat dish
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and add to cocoa mixture. Rub mixture with your fingers until it holds together without large clumps of butter remaining. Turn mixture out and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Form into a disk, and wrap in plastic; chill 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out or press dough into 10" tart pan with removeable bottom and prick holes in bottom with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Remove and allow to cool completely.
3. Place 3/4 of chocolate in a large bowl and bring 3/4 of the cream just to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Gently whisk the cream into the chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Leave the bowl on the counter for a minute before adding the butter.
4. Add 3/4 of the butter to the chocolate bit by bit, stirring gently to blend. When the butter is fully incorporated, the ganache should be smooth and glossy. Refrigerate until chilled.
5. Remove ganache from fridge and empty into bowl of electric mixer - whip until light and fluffy. Pour whipped ganache into tart shell, smooth out with an off-set spatula and refrigerate until set.
6. Make sugared mint leaves for decoration - dip mint leaves in egg white and then dredge in sugar. Allow to air-dry while finishing the tart.
7. Remember the 1/4 chocolate, cream and butter you left behind? Heat the cream carefully, add to the chocolate and mix in the butter as before. Let cool for a few minutes on the counter. Pour over chilled ganache in tart shell and leave on counter while preparing the white chocolate.
8. Melt white chocolate on low heat. Allow to cool on counter for 1-3 minutes. Pour into small sealable bag or cake decorating bag with small tip and pipe swirls on top of still pliable ganache icing on tart. Take a skewer and drag it through the white chocolate and top layer of ganache to create a design. Place sugared mint leaves on top and refrigerate until about 20 minnutes before you are ready to serve.
Printer-friendly version