with Rachel Klemek
source: https://chefsinsight.com/rachel-klemek/

Black Widow Tart (dark chocolate ganache, caramel cream, chocolate shell)

  • Saucepan
  • Heatproof spatula
  • Caramel Cream (see below)
  • Chocolate Ganache (see below)
  • Chocolate Tart Dough (see below)
  1. Pour a thin layer of caramel creme into each baked tart shell, almost halfway full. Chill these (on a parchment lined baking sheet) until the caramel is firm.
  2. Once the ganache is made, while still warm, pour the ganache into the tart shells and chill until set.

Caramel Cream

  • 1-1/2 c. (10-1/2 oz.) sugar
  • 6 tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter
  • 1 c. (7-1/2 oz.) heavy cream, at room temperature
  1. Put 1/2 c. of sugar in a medium heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until the sugar begins to liquefy. Add the remaining sugar 1/3 c. at a time, stirring constantly. Make sure that the previous quantity of sugar is liquefied before you add the next batch.
  2. Once all of the sugar is in your pot, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the melted sugar becomes amber in color, about 7 – 10 minutes total cooking time. The caramelized sugar should look smooth and not grainy, otherwise keep cooking.
  3. Turn off the heat and add the half of the cream. The mixture will bubble madly; just don’t burn yourself with the steam. Add the remaining cream and stir to combine.
  4. Now add the butter and stir to combine. If you choose, throw in a pinch or two of sea salt.

Chocolate Ganache

  • One part dark chocolate : one part cream (1:1) by weight
  1. Set the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl.
  2. Pour the cream into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Pour the boiling cream into the chocolate. Whisk to combine (until the mixture is emulsified).
  3. Flavorings such as vanilla, rum, espresso, etc. can be added to taste at this point. To rewarm the ganache, place the stainless steel bowl over a gently simmering bain marie and stir. Do not over-whisk, but stir with a spoon.
  4. If your ganache separates (if the cocoa butter precipitates out & lays on top), heat the ganache gently, stir & add a small amount of cream. It should re-emulsify after whisking.
  5. To glaze a cake, apply a thin layer of ganache to the cake then chill it. Pour the warm glaze over the chilled cake and let the excess drain off. Let the glaze set for a little while then continue with your decorating.

Chocolate Tart Dough

  • 4 oz. sugar
  • 8 oz. butter (at room temp)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 egg
  • 10 oz. flour (all purpose)
  • 2 oz. cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  1. Place the sugar and butter into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the mixture on low speed. You are not trying to make the butter & sugar airy/fluffy, just trying to make them homogenous.
  2. Add the egg & yolks, one by one, while mixing. Scrape down the bowl. Mix once again to ensure that everything is combined.
  3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  4. The tart dough needs to chill for at least 1 hour before it is rolled out. Pat it into a flat circle, then wrap and refrigerate. To make tart shells, roll out the dough while chilled. Once the tart dough is in the pan, let the tart shells rest in the freezer until baked. This decreased the risk of the tart shells shrinking.
  5. The tart dough should only be rolled out 2 – 3 times for tart shells. After that, you may use the dough like sugar cookie dough, cutting out shapes and baking as needed.
  6. Roll the dough out on a floured table to 1/8" thick and line your tart pans with the dough. Let chill until firm and bake at 350 until no longer doughy.
  7. Let the baked tart shells cool. Leave the baked dough in the pans.

Marshmallows

  • 4 oz. cold water
  • 2 tbsp. gelatin (powdered)
  • 4 oz. water
  • 7-3/4 oz. corn syrup
  • 16-1/4 oz. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Greased brownie pan lined with plastic & greased again
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • Ice bath
  • Candy thermometer
  1. Thoroughly dissolve the gelatin in the cold water*, in the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with whisk attachment.
  2. Pour the water, corn syrup, sugar & salt into a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, in that order. Bring to a boil, without stirring, and then cook to 240 F. Take the pan off the burner. Leave the thermometer in the pan and shock the bottom of the pan in a bowl of ice water to stop it cooking. Allow the syrup to cool in the saucepan until the temperature is 210 F.
  3. Pour the syrup over the bloomed gelatin in the mixer bowl. Begin mixing at medium speed. Once the marshmallow thickens, you may increase the mixer speed to high. Whip the mixture for 5 – 10 minutes, until the marshmallow is fluffy, very thick and still warm. By the time it is done, the mixer should be laboring.
  4. Transfer the marshmallow to the lined, greased pan. Cover with a second piece of greased plastic wrap and press out to even the top. Allow to cure for several hours or even overnight.
  5. Sift powdered sugar onto a cutting board. Remove the plastic wrap and flip the marshmallow slab onto the board. Sift sugar on the top.
  6. Cut the marshmallows with scissors or a knife dipped in powdered sugar. Roll the cut edged in more powdered sugar. Store, in a container, indefinitely.

* Cold liquid flavorings like juice, coffee or tea can be substituted for up to 1/2 of the cold water that the gelatin blooms in. For more acidic liquids, use less or the acid will degrade the gelatin, causing the marshmallows to be too sticky. For example, to make:
- Lemon marshmallows, use 1-1/2 oz. cold lemon juice and 2-1/2 oz cold water.
- Coffee marshmallows, use 2 oz. cold coffee & 2 oz. cold water
- Pomegranate marshmallows – 1/2 oz. cold lemon juice, 1-1/2 oz. pomegranate molasses & 2 oz. cold water