Today was a perfect winter's day! And by perfect I mean, the temps were in the 40s and it felt just right. While texting my wife during the course of the day, it was decided that we're going to have tart for breakfast! (Yes we do obsess over food a lot. Even during texting) This is going to be an awesome weekend. Also because we're also heading out to New Jerseyto hang with the buds! And then going to a beer garden later on Saturday! Really looking forward to catching up! So if you excuse me this time, I'm going to make this quick! Also that it's 3 AM!
Anywho, these tarts are perfect breakfast ideas, and are really easy to make! I mean, seriously, the chocolate tart has like 4 ingredients in it. Fooorealz. So we decided that we'd go with a light Ham and Smoked Gouda Tart for the savory and a sinful dense Dark Chocolate, Coffee and Nutella Tart, one with Raspberries and the other just plain and simple.
Not to mention style points for decadence and thinking outside the box ala French Café! Win win.
So this is how it all went down...
Dark Chocolate, Coffee & Nutella Tart Two Ways + Ham & Gouda Tart
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 package store-bought pie crust (2 sheets. If you'd like to make your own, I follow this recipe)
4 small pie tins (4"-5" molds)
5 oz. 70% or over Dark Chocolate
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 tbsp Coarse ground Coffee
2 tbsp Nutella
Ingredients for Ham & Gouda Tart
2 eggs
2-3 slices of deli Ham
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
3/4 cup SmokedGouda cheese
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp Salt
black pepper
Asparagus (optional)
1. Thaw pie sheets. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line the molds with pie crust and bake them for 15 minutes. (Remember to poke the bottom surface multiple times to avoid the pastry from puffing up. Weigh each mold down with some uncooked raw beans for even heating.)
3. For the chocolate filling, melt the chocolate (break it up roughly), butter, sugar and the Nutella in microwave for 2 minutes (remove after 1 min stir and microwave for another minute) Once done, stir in the coffee grinds. Set aside and let it cool.
4. For the plain Chocolate tarts float in the chocolate filling in two of the baked pie molds.
Fill almost to the brim
Sprinkle sea salt. DONE.
Layer another tart with fresh Raspberries
Flow in the Chocolate filling making sure it covers each nook and cranny
Fill to the brim and transfer both tarts to the fridge for at least 2 hours. Dessert tarts done!
For the savory. In a large bowl, combine eggs and cream and spices and mix well, preferably with a whisk to add air. Set aside. Line the tarts with slices of Ham, making a bed.
Layer in the chopped/sliced Gouda and then pour over the egg and cream mix
Add a steam of Asparagus if you prefer.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and let it cool for 10 minutes.
And just like that breakfast is served!