The dessert for the Valentine's Day dinner was a chocolate ganache tart from Chow.com. My husband modified it a little. This was thick and rich and had a nice little zing with the pepper.

 

 

Here's his version:

 

 

Chocolate Ganache Tart

For the crust:

8 Tbs unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

3 Tbs granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved, seeds scraped, bean reserved

¼ tsp fine salt

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 Tbs unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream

3 Tbs granulated sugar

¼ tsp fine salt

½ tsp Espelette pepper

1 egg yolk

For the raspberry sauce:

4 cups frozen raspberry

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

 

For the crust:

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Combine butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, and salt in a large bowl and stir until evenly incorporated. Add flour and stir until just combined and a soft dough forms.

Sprinkle dough over the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a measuring cup or your fingers, evenly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan (flour the cup occasionally to prevent sticking).

Cover the tart shell with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once chilled, prick it all over with a fork and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

 

For the filling:

Place chocolate and butter in a medium bowl; set aside.

Combine cream, sugar, salt & Espelette pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves and liquid is just at a simmer, about 4 minutes.

Pour cream mixture over chocolate and butter and let sit until melted, about 4 minutes. Gently stir until smooth.

Beat egg yolk and add a little of the chocolate mixture. Continue adding chocolate a little at a time until all the chocolate has been incorporated.

Pour ganache into the cooled tart shell and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until set, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

For the raspberry sauce:

Place raspberries, sugar, and reserved vanilla bean from the crust in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until raspberries start to break down and syrup has thickened, about 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve with slices of tart.

 

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