Chocolate Lovers Butterscotch Chiffon Tart Recipes

CHOCOLATE LOVERS' BUTTERSCOTCH CHIFFON TART

Steps:

• Make bittersweet chocolate dough:
• Blend together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Using the metal blade in a food processor, pulse the butter and the powdered sugar together until combined. Add the flour and cocoa mixture to the food processor bowl and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and pulse until incorporated. Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap or into a plastic bag and gently knead until the dough holds together. Flatten into a 6-inch disk, cover with plastic wrap (or close plastic bag), and refrigerate for 30 minutes (until just firm enough to roll). Roll out dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle between 2 lightly floured sheets of plastic wrap. Fit dough into ungreased tart pan. Patch any holes or rips by pressing in scraps of extra dough with your fingers. Trim excess dough so that there's 1/8 inch of dough above the top edge of the tart pan (to account for shrinkage while baking). Chill for 1 hour before baking.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly prick shell all over with a fork. If using pie weights: Line shell with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry deepens in color (but does not brown), about 12 minutes. Remove parchment and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes more. If not using pie weights: Bake until pastry deepens in color (but does not brown), about 12 minutes. Check after the first 5 minutes; if center of tart puffs up, gently push down with the back of a spoon. Cool completely in the tart pan on a rack, about 20 minutes.
• Make butterscotch filling:
• Bring corn syrup, 3/4 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil mixture, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally, until it melts into a deep golden caramel, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and add butter, vinegar, and a pinch of salt, swirling pan until butter is melted. Add 1/3 cup cream and vanilla and simmer, stirring, 1 minute (sauce will be golden brown). Cool sauce to warm.
• While sauce is cooling, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften, then heat over low heat until dissolved. Stir into butterscotch sauce and cool to room temperature.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks, then add remaining tablespoon sugar and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff glossy peaks. Fold in butterscotch sauce gently but thoroughly. Beat remaining cream with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold into butterscotch mixture gently but thoroughly. Gently pour chiffon into cooled pastry shell, letting it mound, and chill, uncovered, until set, at least 2 hours.
• Make pecan topping:
• Cook pecans in butter with salt in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool nuts completely.
• Let tart stand at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle cooled nuts over top of tart.

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir cocoa and water in a small bowl until smooth. Cool. , Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk oil, egg yolks, vanilla and cocoa mixture. Add to dry ingredients; beat until well blended. Add cream of tartar to egg whites; with clean beaters, beat on high speed just until stiff but not dry. Fold a fourth of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites., Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake 60-65 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour. , Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate. For filling, in a large bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth; refrigerate for 1 hour. , Beat until stiff peaks form. Cut a 1-in. slice off the top of the cake; set aside. To make a tunnel, carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1-in. shell. Fill tunnel with some of the filling; replace cake top. Spread remaining filling over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERSCOTCH TARTLETS

Steps:

• Place chocolate and butterscotch chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; whisk until smooth. Stir in brandy. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate until chilled., In a large bowl, beat remaining cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon chocolate mixture into tart shells; top with whipped cream and garnish with orange zest. Refrigerate until serving.

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake: In large electric mixer bowl, let whites warm to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Into cocoa in small bowl, stir boiling water; stir until smooth; let cool 1/2 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Sift flour with sugar, soda and salt in large bowl; make well in center.
• Pour in oil, yolks and vanilla and cocoa.
• With wooden spoon, beat just until smooth.
• Sprinkle cream of tartar over egg whites and beat on high speed.
• Beat until very stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.
• Do not underbeat.
• Pour batter over whites.
• With whisk, and an under-and-over motion, gently fold to combine.
• Turn into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
• Bake 60-65 minutes, until top springs back when pressed with finger.
• Invert over neck of a bottle (I use a full 2-liter); cool 1-1/2 hours.
• With spatula, loosen cake; remove.
• Cool on rack.
• Make chocolate filling: In large bowl, combine cream, sugar, coca, vanilla, salt; refrigerate 1 hour.
• With mixer beat until stiff; refrigerate.
• Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbsp cold water to soften.
• Heat, stirring, over hot water to dissolve; cool.
• Prepare cake: Cut 1-inch slice crosswise from top of cake (I use a long string of dental floss to cut); set aside.
• With a sharp knife, outline a cavity in cake, leaving 1-inch thick walls around center, side and bottom.
• With spoon carefully remove cake from this area.
• Reserve 1-1/2 cups of the crumbled cake you just removed.
• Measure 2 1/2 cups chocolate filling into small bowl; fold in gelatin.
• Use to fill cavity.
• Replace top.
• Mix 1/2 cup filling with reserved crumbled cake.
• Use to fill center hole.
• Frost top and side of cake with remaining filling.
• Refrigerate until serving.