Make this fabulous chocolate ganache tart when strawberries are in season and at the peak of flavor. While the description is long, the steps are easy and can be done in stages. Dipping baked pastry triangles in ganache, as a garnish for the tart, gives the dessert an elegant finish. If you want to simplify this dessert, you could skip dipping the baked pastry triangles in the chocolate and save them for nibbling later.

For this recipe, you will need a couple of specialty kitchen items that not every baker has on hand. Please read through the recipe completely before starting. This dessert requires a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, plus several sheets of parchment paper to roll out and bake the pastry. In addition, you’ll need 2 large, rimmed sheet pans; both the same size.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup grass-fed unsalted butter, frozen
• About 1/2 cup ice water

Ganache

• 1 3/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 cup bittersweet baking wafers or chunks (not chips)
• About 26 evenly sized ripe strawberries (approximately 2 pints)
• Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions

To make the pastry, in a large bowl, toss together the flour and salt. Using the large holes on a 4-sided cheese grater, grate the butter right onto the flour. Working quickly and gently, use your fingers to massage the butter into the flour. Sprinkle the dough with the ice water. Using a fork, gently mix the water into the dough until it is evenly distributed. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gather the dough into a thick disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and then flatten it a bit more. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and a second rack in the lower third. Heat oven to 375ºF. Have ready a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, plus 2 sheet pans of the same size that can nest together. Line one of the sheet pans with parchment paper. Have two more pieces of parchment ready, along with pie weights (dried beans or rice work too).

When the dough is well chilled, cut it in half, with one portion slightly larger than the other. Roll the smaller portion into a circle slightly larger than the bottom of the tart pan. Use the pan as guide to trace a neat circle of dough. Place this smaller piece of pastry on the sheet pan lined with parchment. Use a pizza cutter or paring knife to cut the pastry into 10 wedges. Place a sheet of parchment over the pastry and then place the second sheet pan on top, sandwiching the pastry so it doesn’t rise during baking. Refrigerate the sheet pan with the dough while you roll the second portion.

Roll the slightly larger portion of dough into a 10 1/2-inch circle. Slide the bottom of the tart pan under the dough, fold the excess loosely inwards, and then drop the bottom into the pan. Unfold the dough and fit it into the pan, pressing up the sides and trimming the top. Use a fork to prick small holes in the pastry all over the bottom. Line the crust with parchment and then fill it with pie weights.

Bake both pieces of pastry for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment with the pie weights from the tart pan, as well as the top sheet pan and top sheet of parchment. Continue to bake the pastry until golden, about 15 minutes longer. (Since this is a fully baked crust, you want a deeply colored pastry so it stays crisp on the bottom. Set aside on wire racks to cool.

To make the ganache, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the cream to 200ºF. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and allow it to melt for a few minutes. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and emulsified. While the ganache is cooling prepare the strawberries. Select the most perfectly ripe ones without any blemishes or soft spots. Remove the stems, wash the berries, and blot them completely dry. Trim the stem end so they will have a flat base when placed on the tart.

To assemble the dessert, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Dip each baked wedge of pastry halfway lengthwise into the ganache. Carefully set each on the parchment. Refrigerate to set the chocolate. Using the remaining ganache, pour it into the tart pan, filling it 3/4 full. Stud the ganache with the prepared berries, arranging the berries pointed-side up. Start at the outer rim
and make concentric circles to the center, nestling the berries close together. Refrigerate the pie so the ganache sets up.

To serve, remove the sides from the tart pan. Cut the tart into 10 slices. Place each slice on a dessert plate. Garnish with 1 chocolate-dipped pastry triangle. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Makes 10 servings