Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart

This Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart looks and tastes divine, but it's so easy to make! The perfect way to use up all those fresh Strawberries this month.

When I picked up the first haul of fresh strawberries last month, I thought about making my favorite Lemon Berry Tart. But while that would have been delicious, I've been in a chocolate mood lately. 

So, my fresh strawberries became the juicy ingredient in this Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart. 

I first made it for Mother's Day last month and it was a huge hit! It's been on request here ever since. And it's totally satisfying ALL of my chocolate cravings. 

This Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart is rich, but it's not overwhelming. Because I used high quality dark chocolate, it's not overly sweet. The strawberries, in contrast, pair so well with the rich dark chocolate. Their sweet, juicy tartness is the perfect complimentary flavor. 

The filling itself is a deliciously creamy, smooth dark chocolate ganache that will quite literally melt in your mouth. It's divine. 

The crust is a chocolate shortbread, not too sweet, but full of flavor. I really do love a good shortbread crust! 

Tips for a Perfect Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart

The secret to a perfect ganache tart filling is the CHOCOLATE. Use high quality chocolate and you'll end up with a tart worthy of all the highest compliments. 

I used one 3.5 oz Valrhona Chocolate Bar (70% cacao), one 3.5 oz Valrhona Chocolate Bar (85% cacao), and 5 ounces of Ghiradelli semi sweet chocolate chips. The result: a smooth, rich chocolate filling that isn't overly sweet.  

The first few times I made this Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart, I put the strawberries on top before the chocolate was set. They sank down just a little bit and it looked and tasted delicious! 

However, when I made it to photograph this time around, I left the strawberries off because I didn't know exactly when I'd be photographing it. I made the tart a day in advance and stuck it in the fridge. Then, just before photographing and serving, I topped it with the strawberries. 

It works either way! 

This feels like such a fancy, decadent dessert. I assure you, however, that it's a cinch to make. Promise! 

Go get yourself some strawberries and give it a try. 

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Tart

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Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling

• 12 ounces high quality dark chocolate (see notes)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• approximately ½ pound fresh strawberries

For the Glaze

• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1.75 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon warm water

Instructions

1. To prepare the crust, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, using a standing mixer or electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed until just incorporated, being careful to not over mix. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.
3. Once the dough has chilled, press the dough into the tart pan and up the sides. Use a knife to score the edges and make them even at the top. Bake for 15 minutes. If it has puffed up a little during baking, just gently press it down when you remove from oven. Cool completely in pan.
4. To prepare the filling, heat the cream and finely chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water (medium low heat), whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until smooth. Pour into cooled tart crust and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Top with fresh strawberries.
5. To prepare the glaze (see notes), bring the cream to a low boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and water until smooth. Drizzle over tart and serve.

Notes

The Chocolate is the most important ingredient here. Use high quality chocolate. I used one 3.5 oz Valrhona Chocolate Bar (70% cacao), one 3.5 oz Valrhona Chocolate Bar (85% cacao), and 5 ounces of Ghiradelli semi sweet chocolate chips.

Make sure your chocolate is finely chopped. You want it to melt quickly so the ganache doesn't over cook and curdle.

The glaze is optional. It's not like the tart really needs more chocolate, but it makes for a really gorgeous presentation if you're trying to impress.