La tarte au chocolat à la réglisse

Recipe: chocolat liquorice tart 

When we moved to Paris some time ago, I arrived with a ragtag idea of France composed from childhood memories of holidays spent in Paris, at the coast of Brittany and in Provence. It was a perception I knew I couldn´t trust, a fragmentary postcard image of vintage looking bakeries, retro charme cars and nonchalant flaneurs with baguettes under the arm. It was obvious it wouldn´t stand the test of ordinary life, which has its flaws here as much as anywhere else. However, while in France, it´s easy to get captured by the flair of what one might think of as the good old days, radiated by so many everyday objects and items: an old fashioned Métro entrance perhaps, an elegant hôtel particulier (grand house or villa), a beautiful vintage plate - or a tiny box of licorice candy. Cachou Lajaunie, just that name. Holding the black & yellow box in my palm, I instantly picture that same box might have fallen of some school kids´s satchel fifty years ago. I´m sure it looks exactly the same today, as it did then.

Recently, in the mood for a very early spring clean, I found about a year´s supply of Cachou Lajaunie pastilles in several purses and kitchen pantries. At times, it´s good to have daily dose of nostalgia on hand wherever you go. But with reserves like that, I could easily do without a spoonful or two, and that´s how this tart saw the light of day. I love adding an unexpected flavor to desserts, especially chocolat ganaches,  then make my family guess what it might be. It´s a fun game, especially if no one has a clue. But they´re really good at it! The Cachou Lajaunie bonbons add a smoky, earthy undertone from the licorice, yet also a little freshness from the mint, a combination that works wonderfully with the dark chocolat. If you don´t like licorice, just leave it out and try the tart plain, with chocolate and perhaps a dash of fleur de sel. The slightly runny filling  ( it´s called mi-cuit, half-cooked ) is so silky and smooth,  simply heavenly!

Tarte au chocolat à la réglisse, façon `mi-cuit`:

makes one 8 inch/20 cm tart

Salted butter almond crust:
180 g flour
50 g ground almonds
115 g cold cubed salted butter
1 egg yolk
3-4 tbsp cold water
60 g powdered sugar

Chocolate filling:
140 g dark chocolate
1 tsp licorice Lajaunie bonbons -about 15 little pastilles
120 g cream
2 fresh eggs

For the crust, combine all ingredients except water until a crumbly dough starts to form. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough will be homogenous, without any visible chunks of butter. Shape a disc , wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

When ready to bake, roll out the dough on a floured surface. Line a buttered tart mould and cut off excess pastry from the edges (keeps in the fridge for a few days, or refrigerated for up to 3 months). Prick with a fork multiple times, refrigerate again until the oven is preheated to 180°C/350°F. Cover pastry with a circle of parchment paper,  spread oven proof weights all over, and blind bake for 12-15 minutes. Switch the oven off.

While the pastry is baking, beat eggs in a small bowl. Break chocolate into small chunks. 

Bring cream and licorice candy to a soft boil, stirring all the time so the candy melt entirely in the cream. Off the heat, stir in the chocolate chunks until completely melted. Using a fork, whisk in the eggs to obtain a smooth, creamy mixture.

Remove weights and parchment from the pastry shell. Pour chocolat mixture into the baked tart shell, return to the switched off oven for 8-10 minutes, until somewhat set, but still a bit wobbly. 

Serve lukewarm or just cooled.