Chocolate Orange Mousse Tart

There are some pairings that are totally natural: peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy. For me, I'm pretty partial to chocolate and orange. There's something about the bright citrus taste that pares well with the rich, dark, flavor of chocolate - which is why I was more than happy when we whipped up these chocolate orange tartlets in pastry school.

The filling is thick and creamy with a hint of the orange. You can make either one large tartlets or mini tartlets. The tart shell here is a chocolate one, but this would be just as delicious in a regular pie crust, like the recipe used for these pecan pies.

I've been baking and baking and baking with no time to blog so hopefully I'll share some of my own creations - that I made outside of pastry school - with you soon. Stay tuned to this space!

Tip of the Day: You can make tart doughs in advance and freeze for at least a month before using - make a double or triple batch to keep on hand. To use, leave in the fridge overnight before rolling out.

Recipe: 
Dough:
330g (2 2/3 cup) flour
28g (1/4 cup) cocoa, sifted
225g (1 cup/2 sticks)butter
115g (1/2 cup) sugar
2g (1/2 teaspoon) vanilla
57g (one extra large) egg


Filling:
180g (3/4 cup) heavy cream
60g (1/4 cup) sugar
zest of one orange
170g (about 8-9) yolks
100g semisweet chocolate
30g (3 tbsp) brandy

For the dough, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. 
Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Add in the flour and cocoa powder and mix until just combined. 
Turn the dough out on to a surface, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough out to a 12" circle on a floured surface, then fit to a 10" tart pan, pressing down the sides and bottom. Trim off any excess dough. Freeze the shell for 10 minutes. 
Blind bake the shell (filled with beans or pastry weights) for 15 minutes, then remove.


Meanwhile, boil the cream, sugar and orange zest together.
Temper the egg yolks by pouring a thin stream of the hot cream in to the eggs while whisking vigorously, then add all the cream and whisk to combine. 
Melt the chocolate and brandy and pour in to the egg mixture, whisking until uniform. 


Pour the chocolate mixture in to the tart shell and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.


If desired, glaze with a simple syrup and top with strips of orange peel.