Dark Chocolate Peppermint Tart

This is a sponsored post by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker.

This dark chocolate peppermint tart is the perfect holiday dessert! It is made using Scharffen Berger 100% Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder and Scharffen Berger 70% Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Baking Portions, which gives the tart an amazingly rich dark chocolate flavor.

The holidays are made better with baking, and this year I had the opportunity to make this rich dark chocolate peppermint tart to feature Scharffen Berger gourmet chocolate. Incorporating the finest hand-crafted chocolate really raises the bar on this simple-to-make dessert.

Quick Tips

• Use Scharffen Berger cocoa powder and baking portions chocolate for optimal flavor!
• Use the tart pan as a guide when rolling out your chocolate crust to ensure that the dough isn’t rolled too thin
• Be sure to mix your chocolate ganache filling well and reheat if necessary to achieve an optimal smooth texture
• Buy crushed candy canes or use a rolling pin to crush full candy canes for the tart filling and topping

Equipment

• 9-inch tart pan
• Mixing bowls
• Rolling pin
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Pastry cutter or forks to combine cold butter and dry ingredient mixture
• Silicone spatula is always helpful for scraping down bowls

Ingredient Notes

This dark chocolate peppermint tart requires a few simple ingredients to make!

• All-purpose flour: try substituting 1:1 GF baking flour if you’d like to make this gluten-free
• Powdered sugar
• 100% Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder
• Salt
• Egg
• Heavy cream
• Unsalted butter: if using salted butter, reduce salt by ¼ teaspoon
• 70% Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Baking Portions
• Peppermint extract
• Crushed candy canes

Looking for other holiday recipes?

• Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars with a Cranberry Swirl
• Molasses Cookies
• Cinnamon Mounds

How to make the Dark Chocolate Peppermint Tart

This dark chocolate peppermint tart can be divided into three easy steps.

1. Make the dark chocolate crust.
2. Make the dark chocolate ganache filling.
3. Assemble the tart.

How to make the dark chocolate crust

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all of your dry ingredients (flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt).

Next, chop the cold butter into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers, forks, or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Any leftover butter chunks shouldn’t be larger than a pea.

Add the egg and heavy cream and mix together until all of the dry ingredients have been coated. I will usually use my hands to get it fully incorporated and to form it into a dough ball.

Work the dough into a ball and place it on to a clean, well-floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle large enough to cover your tart pan. Make sure not to roll the dough too thin! Roll it just large enough to fit your pan.

Carefully lift the dough and place it in your tart pan. Press the dough down, trim the edges off (no dough should be hanging over the side) and use excess dough to fix any holes. This crust is very forgiving. Feel free to patch any imperfections with excess dough.

Use a fork to evenly prick the dough on the bottom of the pan (8-10 times) to avoid bubbles when baking. Then bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until the dough is no longer shiny and it appears cooked.

Remove the baked crust from the oven and set it aside to cool.

How to make the dark chocolate ganache filling

Heat the heavy cream in the microwave or using a double boiler until it is almost boiling. Be sure not to heat it past boiling or the cream could curdle.

Coarsely chop the chocolate baking portions and pour them into the hot cream.

Then stir the mixture until it is smooth. Return it to the double boiler or microwave for short periods if necessary and mix until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Add the peppermint extract and half of the crushed candy canes. Mix until well-combined.

How to assemble the tart

Pour the chocolate over the baked tart crust and spread it until it’s smoothly and evenly distributed throughout the pan.

Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over the top of the tart for additional decoration.

Place the tart in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set (about 30 minutes). I prefer to eat this tart at room temperature, but you can also eat it chilled from the fridge.

Store this tart in the fridge until you are ready to serve.