White Chocolate Tart

What kinda girl doesn't like chocolate???? I don't believe there is such thing. I bet any girl knows how to appreciate a good piece of quality chocolate; either milk, dark or white. You name it. Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical cacao tree which has been cultivated in Mexico since 1100 BC. The Aztecs used to make chocolate beverages known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". Chocolate beverages were often flavored with vanilla, chili pepper, and achiote (known today as annatto). The Maya civilization used to grew Cacao trees to produce xocolātl as well. Actually the word "Chocolate" which we use today, derived from the Nahuatl word "xocolātl".

Even though you don't believe that chocolate has benefits other than giving you great pleasure, there are potential beneficial health effects of eating chocolate. Cocoa or dark chocolate benefits the circulatory system. Other beneficial effects include anticancer, brain stimulator and cough preventor. But of course, although chocolate has it's good things.. you also have to eat it in moderation.

My recipe today doesn't include the healthy dark chocolate I was just talking about, but instead I used white chocolate which in fact is mostly cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla... but I just felt like I needed a little treat for the weekend!!...
If you also feel that you deserve a little something special for the weekend ... here it goes:

White Chocolate Tart

Ingredients:

375g of shortcrust pastry

225 g blackberries

Filling:

300g white chocolate, chopped

2 cups cream

4 egg yolks

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400F. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface. Place the pastry in a 25cm removable-base tart tin. Prick the pastry with a fork and top with a piece of non-stick baking paper. Fill with baking weights and bake for 5 mins. Remove weights and paper and cook for a further 6 mins or until pastry is a light golden colour.

For the filling, Place the chocolate and cream in a sauce pan over low heat and stir until smooth. Then take away from the heat and let cool. Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into the tart and bake at 275F for 25 mins or until the tart is just set. Refrigerate until cold and firm. To serve top the tart with blackberries.