chocolate ganache tart with raspberries

* adapted from a 'Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé' recipe

the crust*
1 cup ground almonds, lightly toasted
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
zest of one lemon
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dash ground cloves
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur

the filling
1 pound (457 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
1 ounce white chocolate

directions:
1. Blend together almonds, flour, sugar, zest and spices. Cut in butter until the texture of coarse meal.

2. Stir together yolk, egg and liqueur and blend into dough until it just comes together. Shape dough into a disc, wrap and chill for 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to just greater than 1/4-inch thick and line 10" tart pan with removable bottom with pastry (I had quite a bit of pastry left over, which freezes extremely well), trim edges and chill 15 minutes.

4. Dock (prick holes in bottom of the pastry) pastry with a fork and line with parchment paper, weighted down with beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Remove and allow to cool.

5. Place 3/4 of chocolate in a large bowl and bring 3/4 of the cream to a full boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

6. While the cream is coming to a boil, work the butter with a rubber spatula until it becomes soft and creamy - set aside

7. When the cream is at the boil, remove the pan from the heat and, working with a whisk, gently stir the cream into the chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Leave the bowl on the counter for a minute before adding the butter.

8. Add 3/4 of the butter to the chocolate bit by bit, stirring gently to blend. When the butter is fully incorporated, the ganache should be smooth and glossy (at this stage, the ganache can be refrigerated for up to two days or frozen up to one month and the tart prepared when needed). Refrigerate ganache until chilled.

9. Remove ganache from fridge and empty into bowl of electric mixer - whip until light and fluffy. Pour whipped ganache into tart shell and refrigerate until set.

10. Remember the 1/4 chocolate, cream and butter you left behind? Heat the cream carefully, add to the chocolate and mix in the butter as before. Let cool for a few minutes on the counter. Pour over chilled ganache in tart shell and leave on counter while preparing the white chocolate.

11. Melt white chocolate in microwave on low heat. Allow to cool on counter for one - three minutes. Pour into small sealable bag or cake decorating bag with small tip and pipe circles on top of still pliable ganache icing on tart. Take a skewer and drag it through the white chocolate and top layer of ganache to create a design. Place raspberries on top and refrigerate until ready to serve.

notes: