Chocolate Tart with Cherry-Moonshine Sauce

It’s that time of year again – a time that is as fleeting as it is sweet and tart. It’s cherry season. Specifically sour cherries are popping up at markets right now.

Can you hear the pitter-patter of my heart?! In tribute to this delicious little jewel and its best friend, dark chocolate, I’ve jotted down my favorite no-bake chocolate tart with a cocoa nib shortbread crust and a very cherry sauce. And just like besties, each makes the other even better than they’d be alone, if you can believe it.

DOUBLE TROUBLE CHOCOLATE TART WITH CHERRY-MOONSHINE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

For the cocoa nib shortbread crust:

• 4 T unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
• ½ c granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 ½ c all-purpose flour
• ¼ c dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¼ c Black Mountain Chocolate Roasted Cocoa Nibs

For the chocolate filling:

• 8 oz Black Mountain Chocolate 70% Dominican Chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 oz Black Mountain Chocolate 53% Mountain Milk Chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces
• 1 c heavy cream
• 3 T granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the cherry-moonshine sauce:

• 2 c fresh sour cherries, pitted (or another variety, but cut the sugar in half)
• ¼ c moonshine whiskey, or your favorite liquor or liqueur
• ½ c granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl (or in stand mixer with paddle attachment) for 2 minutes. Sift in flour and cocoa powder and add cocoa nibs. Mix until just combined and a soft dough forms. Place dough in 9-inch tart pan and press evenly with the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Prick bottom approximately 20 times with a fork and bake about 15-20 minutes.

For the filling:

Place chocolate and butter in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves and liquid is just begins to simmer. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and butter and let sit 1-2 minutes before whisking to combine all the ingredients. Pour ganache into the cooled tart shell and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until set, approximately 1 eternity (or 1-2 hours).

For the sauce:

Place cherries, moonshine (or other liquor/liqueur), sugar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cherries start to break down and syrup has thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Douse the now-set tart liberally with cherry-moonshine goodness and enjoy a slice … or two.

Until next month’s recipe …

Best Baking,

Megan

Black Mountain Chocolate Sorbet

For your enjoyment during these warm, sunny spring days …

Black Mountain Chocolate Sorbet

¾ c unsweetened cocoa powder, either Dutch or natural works here

1 ¼ c light corn syrup

2 c water

8 oz Black Mountain 70% Dominican Chocolate, melted

2 ¾ c water

¼ c granulated sugar

Directions: Place cocoa powder, corn syrup and first water into a large saucepan. Whisk to combine. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

While simmering mixture, melt the chocolate pieces over a double boiler or by microwaving in 15- to 30-second increments (stirring to distribute heat evenly after each time). Take the saucepan off of the heat and add the melted chocolate. Mix to incorporate; then stir in the second water and the sugar. Return pan to stovetop and bring to boil once again. Simmer 3 minutes.

Allow it to cool to room temperature. Pour into cylinder of ice cream maker and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. (This process is called ‘aging,’ which is coincidentally what I feel I’m doing as the minutes until “sorbet time” tick slowly by.) Proceed with freezing the sorbet according to machine’s instructions.

Alternatively, to freeze as a granité (grani-TAY), pour cooled sorbet base in a 13x9 baking dish and place in freezer. Remove from freezer every 20 minutes or so and scrap the forming ice crystals with a couple of forks. As the granité gets closer to being done, scrap with forks more frequently until it has the appearance of shaved ice and is a somewhat scoopable consistency. For best results (and if you have the patience of a saint), cover and freeze granité undisturbed for at least 24 hours before enjoying.

Whether you make an icy, slushy chocolate granité or a rich, decadent sorbet, I hope you and yours enjoy this dreamy, yet refreshing, frozen treat as much as Nibs and the rest of the Black Mountain Chocolate family does!

Wishing you best baking,

Megan