Tuesday's with Dorie: Tarte Noire

When we lived in Germany, we were friends with some self-proclaimed (American) food snobs.  I would always chuckle to myself at what they wouldn't eat: canned meat, rice and beans etc.  Not that they had never eaten those things, it's just that they had developed great cooking skills and dreamed of opening a restaurant.  Eating plain old rice and beans just doesn't cut it after you reach a certain skill level like they had.

Well, I think I am turning into a dessert snob although I am not all the way there yet.  After baking so many wonderful dessert recipes with the best ingredients with this baking group, it is actually becoming difficult for me to like or enjoy certain desserts as much as I would have in the past.

Take this weekend for example.  I took my tart to a pie party on the 4th.  I figured the tart is related to the pie and the French helped us gain our independence, so it would be fitting.  With great anticipation, I eyed the other pies trying to decide which of the twenty or so pies I would sample.  I tried four others besides my own and I only liked half of them!  Who doesn't like dessert?  DESSERT!  What is the matter with me?

(By the way, the ganache was perfectly smooth until it was time to transport it.  I put plastic wrap over it and it instantly stuck to the top.  Blast!  When will I ever get a picture of a good LOOKING dessert!?!)

Well, maybe some people didn't like mine as it was made out of dark chocolate (noire being French for "dark").  I know a lot of people do not like dark chocolate.  It is an acquired taste.  Once you love it, you are officially a dessert snob! :)  It's still not my favorite, and that is why say I am not a fully-developed dessert snob yet.  I sure did feel like one as I was eating my pies.  I almost felt ashamed.  Guilty.  After all, how much time and effort did someone put into making these pies, and (more importantly) how many not-so-great desserts have I made?  PLENTY!

Even though my food snobbery is not yet fully developed, I did like this tart despite its darkness.  I think two things made it "acceptable" to my taste buds.
1)  I used really good Belgium chocolate.
2)  Dorie's light, buttery, shortbread-like crust really balances the bitter taste of dark chocolate.

Would I make this again?  Yes, for someone who loves chocolate, or for some dessert snob I need to impress.  :)

So, all you dessert snobs and chocolate lovers, please visit Dharma Girl's blog: Bliss Towards A Delicious Life, to view the recipe for this tart.  Thanks, Dharma Girl, for choosing this week's recipe!