Fudge-Almond Tart is missing something ??
So, I made this because the photo looked great. (photo did not copy over. You can find the photo here.)
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/upside-down-fudge-almond-tart-10000001949702/
IMHO it came out sweet, flat, bland with a strong taste of chocolate. Both my wife and I said "It is missing something" .
Any comments ??
Upside-Down Fudge-Almond TartDecadent, rich, and intensely chocolaty, this recipe garnered our highest rating for flavor. It's a bit of a splurge, an indulgent way to cap off a Valentine's Day meal. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to five days.
Photo by: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
- YIELD: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
- COURSE: Desserts
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 tablespoons sifted Dutch process cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons golden cane syrup (such as Lyle's Golden Syrup)
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Set oven rack to lowest third of oven.
2. Coat a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle almonds in pan.
3. Combine chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.
4. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, Dutch process cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
5. Place eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until thick and pale. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at medium speed 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add golden cane syrup and vanilla; beat on low speed 1 minute or until blended. Add chocolate mixture; beat 1 minute or until blended. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed just until combined.
6. Pour batter over nuts into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake in lower third of oven at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool tart in pan 20 minutes on wire rack. Invert tart onto serving platter.
Nutritional Information- Amount per serving
- Calories: 281
- Fat: 19.8g
- Saturated fat: 7.7g
- Monounsaturated fat: 8.1g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 2.1g
- Protein: 5.9g
- Carbohydrate: 24.6g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
- Iron: 1.6mg
- Sodium: 80mg
- Calcium: 45mg
Cooking Light JANUARY 2010
Bland makes me think not enough salt and extract. Try 1/2 teaspoon salt. (Sorry, have to ask, any chance you forgot the salt?) And I always use more extract than most recipes suggest. If you like an almond flavor, add 1 teaspoon almond extract. And increase vanilla to 1 teaspoon. If you make it again, let us know how it turns out.
In addition to Mimifix's comments, perhaps even more vanilla than she suggests, 1 1/2 tsp total and use brown sugar instead of white? both will add a bit more flavor. and yes more salt. Use a good brand of vanilla extract even though it costs a bit more...
Excellent ideas. I will try adding more salt and extract. I was a bit confused by the chocolate & cocoa. I used 70% cocoa chocolate and left out the cocoa. I believe these 4 ounces were of a very high quality chocolate.
Should that have made any difference.?????
Whenever I see a recipe I think I might like, the first thing I do is try it exactly as written, Later attempts are where I play with it. This recipe seems pretty well balanced and I, IMHO, would not modify it just yet, although upping the vanilla to a teaspoon isn't a bad idea.
This recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate and it would be fine to sub semi-sweet for it. Saying you used 70% doesn't say much. There's more to chocolate than just that percentage.
The recipe also calls for dutch process cocoa. Dutch process is rich, very dark, and not often found in grocery stores (at least not in the Montreal area). Fry's etc is NOT a substitute. If your cocoa is not very dark brown, it's not dutch process.
If you can't find dutch process you can try 3 tbs of regular cocoa mixed with about 1/8 tsp of baking soda, and reducing your butter by 1/2 tbs or so. Not exactly the same, but much closer than "normal" cocoa.
What did you use for colden cane syrup?
Cheers
70% would work fine instead of bittersweet- but you still need the cocoa powder. try the recipe as intended, up the salt and vanilla per comments above, and you will likely be very happy with the outcome. Good luck!
play with it a little. I believe the cocoa is an important ingredient and I would be likely to add it to the butter/melted choclate mixture so it develops a richer flavor.
I also question if it tasted salty enough. An interesting flavor may be to use salted almonds for a sweet and salty flavor that is becoming so popular. Another way to enrich the choclate flavor is to add a little coffee or expresso flavor. I simply add a single serve packet of instant coffee to my brownies. It makes a world of difference in how the bitterness of the coffee plays off the chocolate. Make sure it is a coffee that has a reasonable flavor or use an espresso powder (can be ordered online). Liqeurs can be used to great effect,also. How about an amaretto,kahlua or even Grand MArnier? Chili is popular to mix in with chocolate,also. Many ways to have some fun. It looks like a pretty easy recipe.