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(Adapted from La Maison du Chocolat)

Ingredients

• 225 grams (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup (160 grams) heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams; 1 ounce) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ moist, plump vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 fully baked, 16-cm (6 ½-inch) tart shell made with pâte sucrée (sweet tart dough, see below)

Directions

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl and set it aside.
2. Ensure that the butter is soft but not oily and set it aside in a small bowl. If necessary, work it with a spatula or your fingers to soften it some more.
3. In a small bowl beat 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream with the egg yolks until the mixture is just smooth.
4. Place the rest of the cream into a saucepan along with the split vanilla bean and bring to a boil. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the hot cream over the chocolate pieces. Let sit for 30 seconds. Using a whisk, delicately blend the cream into the chocolate. Add the egg yolks, followed by the butter.
5. Pour the mixture into the baked tart shell. Jiggle the crust lightly to even out the filling and leave on counter until mixture is set. This should take around 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can place the tart in the refrigerator for no longer than 20 minutes, then keep it at room temperature after it has set.
6. Serve the tart at room temperature. If you plan to serve the tart the next day, store overnight in refrigerator and remember to let it stand at room temperature for two hours before serving.

To make the crust

Pâte sucrée recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon cold cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 115 grams (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• 1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Using a whisk, blend together egg yolk, cream and vanilla and set aside.
2. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine 1 ¼ cups flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture has a coarse meal texture. Add egg and cream mixture and process until dough forms, about 30 seconds.
3. Place dough on sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a 6-inch disk. Cover with wrap and chill for at least two hours.
4. When ready to proceed, preheat oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F). Roll out dough on lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, then place in tart pan. Cover with parchment paper or foil and fill with ceramic pie weights, beans or rice. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating half way through baking time, then remove liner and weights and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown.