Dary-Free Tarte au Chocolat Orange

If you ask me what I spend most of my time doing these days your answer is going to be one of two things...watching the Food Network on television or in the kitchen cooking or baking something.  When you are almost 7 months pregnant...everything revolves around food, unless you are still getting morning sickness.  

For whatever reason, with every pregnancy I've had I get the requisite "text book" length of morning sickness...about 10 weeks.  But, I've never vomited and I literally woke up on the morning of the day my 16th week began and never had nausea again.  I realize I am blessed when I talk to other women about their experiences...very blessed.

Most of my cravings in the morning have revolved around chocolate the past week.  In the evening it is meat and dairy...  I like to have something around the house that I can dig into that isn't COMPLETELY bad for me.  Last week when I was watching the Food Network, Anna Olson was making this fabulous looking chocolate tart.  I can't eat dairy in the evening, even though I crave it.  So, I decided to try her tart, but dairy free.

You will need a 9 inch round tart pan for this recipe.

Dairy-Free Tart au Chocolat Orange

Chocolate Pastry Crust 
3/4 c. Earth's Balance buttery spread, at room temperature
1/2 c. organic fair trade icing sugar, sifted
3 large egg yolks
1 c. King Arthur Cake Flour
1 c. King Arthur Pastry Flour
1/4 c. Callebaut cocoa powder
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling
1/4 c. organic chocolate soy milk
1/4 c. Earth's Balance buttery spread, cut into pieces
8 oz. Enjoy Life! dairy free semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/4 c. organic fair trade sugar
1/2 c. hot orange juice OR hot coconut water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. Nielsen Massey vanilla extract

For the pastry, beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth, then add the egg yolks all at once and beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift the flours, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until evenly combined. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap and chill until ready to use.

Knead the chocolate pastry dough once or twice on a lightly floured work surface to soften, then roll out the dough to a circle just less than ¼-inch thick. Lift the dough carefully to line a 9-inch removable-bottom fluted tart pan. Press the dough into the shell and trim away any excess. Dock the pastry with a fork. Chill the tart shell for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Place the chilled tart shell onto a baking tray and bake it for about 18 minutes or until you see that the pastry has an even, dull finish. Allow it to cool while you prepare the filling.  About 30 minutes.

For the filling, bring the soy milk and butter up to a simmer and pour this over the chocolate in a large bowl, letting it sit for just a few seconds. Gently stir the mixture with a spatula until the chocolate melts, then whisk in the sugar and the orange juice or coconut water. Lightly beat the eggs in a small dish and add this to the chocolate, along with the vanilla, whisking gently until incorporated. Pour this into the cooled tart shell and bake (still at 350 F) for 12 minutes. Allow the tart to cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

The tart can be stored, refrigerated, for up to 2 days.  It makes a single 9 inch tart.

Cooled Chocolate Tart

 Ready to devour!!

There is NO detecting that this beauty is dairy free.  Not even close!  The crust is like a fabulous, buttery shortbread; crisp but not hard.  The filling is like VELVET!  It is so smooth and there is just a hint of orange flavor, but for me that is just enough.  You could also try some grand marnier if you're sporting.  

This is such a fabulous recipe and there is really a lot that you can do with it.  As I said, it originally called for 1/2 c. of hot, strong coffee.  We don't drink coffee at all in our home, but we have TONS of other lovelies that I knew could/would compliment and set off chocolate.  Orange, coconut water, cherry concentrate...  Don't be afraid to try something different with recipes you find but for any reason, shouldn't have.  Make it your OWN.  Enjoy!

**If you make this with dairy the filling will need to be adjusted.  Rather than 1/4 c. chocolate soy milk use 1/2 c. whipping cream.  Because of the thinness of the soy milk, I reduced it to 1/4 c. to achieve the proper custard like consistency that you would have gotten with whipping cream.