Chocolate and semolina tart
a Florentine cake with semolina and chocolate to celebrate Easter
Servings 8
Ingredients
For the short pastry
- 250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 125 grams (9 tablespoons) butter, cold, diced
- 125 grams (⅔ cup) sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Grated zest of an organic lemon
For the semolina custard
- 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) whole milk
- 125 grams (¾ cup) semolina flour
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons vin santo, or any sweet dessert wine
- 2 eggs
For the chocolate ganache
- 200 grams (7 onces) 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 200 grams (7 onces) cream
- 25 grams (2 tablespoons) butter
Instructions
Make the crust
- In a large bowl or on a wooden board, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and grated lemon zest. Add the cubed butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the other ingredients, until they form fine crumbs, similar to grated Parmigiano Reggiano. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to do this.
- Add the beaten egg, and use your hands to quickly incorporate all the ingredients, until the dough just comes together. It will still be slightly sticky and not completely homogeneous, but the flour should all be incorporated, with no visible streaks. Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap, then stash it in the fridge to rest for a few hours, or ideally until the next day.
Make the semolina pastry cream
- Heat the milk in a saucepan, add the sugar, then pour in the semolina making sure that no lumps are formed. Stir constantly with a whisk. When the milk reaches the boiling point and you can see big slow bubbles form on the surface of the pastry cream, remove it from the heat, add the vinsanto and stir well to incorporate.
- Let the pastry cream cool down for about half an hour, then when it is barely warm add the eggs, and whisk until perfectly combined.
Make the semolina tart
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F and butter a 26 cm/10 in round tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out with a floured rolling pin into a disc big enough to cover the bottom and edges of your tart pan, then transfer it to the prepared pan, fitting it into the bottom and up the sides. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. With a spatula or spoon, spread the semolina pastry cream evenly over the crust.
- Bake the cake for 50 minutes or until the semolina custard is golden and puffed up. Remove it from the oven and let it cool down. The semolina pastry cream will deflate a bit.
While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate ganache.
- Warm the cream in a small saucepan, and when it is barely simmering pour it over the chopped chocolate. Stir to melt the chocolate with a spatula, then add the butter.
- Pour the chocolate ganache slowly over the tart, then shake it gently to evenly distribuite it.
- Let the tart cool completely in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Remove it from the fridge half an hour before eating to bring it to room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
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