Chocolate Ganache Tart

Celebrate Valentine's Day with this easy, irresistible dessert!

By Khalil Hymore

Chocolate and Valentine's Day go together like peanut butter and jelly, like Lucy and Ethel, or like The Golden Girls and cheesecake. It's hard to imagine one without the other. This year instead of a box of chocolates (Ahem, are you listening boyfriends and husbands?) why not prepare this ridiculously easy tart? The key is to purchase high quality chocolate (Don't scrimp, it's a holiday!), since it's THE main ingredient. Present your Valentine with this dessert and they'll be all yours.

Makes 10 servings

For the Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

For the Ganache:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes, such as Maldon

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. To make the crust, stir together the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt until well combined and press into a 9-inch tart pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

For the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Stir until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract.

Pour the chocolate ganache into the cooled tart shell. Chill until the ganache is set, about 1 hour. Before serving, decoratively sprinkle the tart with sea salt flakes.