Scribbles & Munch

     So if you're wondering why my posts are so erratic this week, the answer is that I'm in California for a pirate-themed wedding on a wooden schooner, with guests in full pirate costume.

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      Ok, now that you've recovered from your first round of jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching envy, we will continue! I'll be going to this wedding with my brother, so I've been staying with him a few days. Whenever my brother and I get together we end up having an awesome time. There's a lot of reasons for this - Dr. Who marathons, California farmer's markets, making up words like "smorgusflakes," and spankingly good cocktails being a few of them - but of course one of the best parts is the cooking. We are foodies, we are cooks, and we are not afraid to experiment.
      So I chose this visit as an opportunity to try out a notion that's been rattling around in my noggin for a few months: a tart with a blue corn tortilla chip crust, jalapeño dark chocolate ganache, fresh raspberries and a lime creme drizzle. Sound unusual? Well I've never had anything like it. Sound tasty? You bet your barnacles it does! Arrrr!
     The finished product was indeed delicious, although it could probably use some tweaks. I'll share what we did, and note what I might do different next time in parenthesis. Also, this is one of those desserts where you can't just list off all the nummy features and call that a name, because it's too darn long. So if you have ideas for a name, put 'em in a comment and we'll pick our favorite for the official recipe title!

Z.D.'s Blue-Corn-Chip-Crusted Dark-Chocolate-Jalapeño Tart with Raspberries and Lime Creme

For the Crust:
1 & 1/2 Cups crushed Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, from about 3 heaping cups of chips
2 Tablespoons Mexican brown sugar (or dark brown sugar)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

The best way to make the crumbs is to pulse the chips with the sugar in a food processor, but if you don't have such a gizmo, just put the chips in a zip-top bag and smash 'em with a rolling pin or a heavy frying pan.

 - Pre-heat your oven to 350º F. Toss the crumbs & sugar in a bowl, drizzle in the butter and mix well. Press the crumbs along the bottom and sides of a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. I like to use a glass with a flat bottom for this, it helps press the mixture smoothly and my fingers don't get all messy. (The next time I attempt this tart, I will crush my tortilla chips more finely--the edges of the tart were just a bit crumbly because I left bigger flakes in the mix, which made it tricky to serve, although the bottom came out great.)

Kinda looks like chocolate, but it's salty blue corn goodness!

 - Bake until set, about 12 minutes. It won't really change color, but you'll just begin to smell it baking when it's time to take it out. Allow to cool completely on a rack, at least one hour.

For the Ganache:
3 Tablespoons agave syrup
1/4 Cup water
One large, fresh jalapeño pepper, split in half lengthwise
6 oz heavy cream
12 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

 - Combine the water and agave syrup in a small saucepan, bring just to a boil. Toss in the jalapeño, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer until the water is boiled off and you have a nice, pepper infused agave syrup. This took about 8 minutes for us, but keep an eye on it. You're getting close when you can really start to smell the pepper, and when the water is all gone you'll see the liquid is bubbling more thickly.

 - Allow to cool slightly, then purée in a blender or similar kitchen device. Return the purée to the pan, add the cream, and put over low heat, stirring until the mixture is warm and incorporated.

 - Add in the chocolate, and continue to stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread the ganache into the cooled tart shell. (This is where we ran into some complications: the chocolate seized up. Because it's hard to find dark backing chocolate, I used half Ghiradell's 100% Cacao - in other words, unsweetened -  and half 60% Bittersweet Cacao, and it worked just fine as far as flavor went, but this may have contributed to the seizing. Since it was for a tart, I used the mixtuer anyway, and there was no problem with either flavor or texture--only my pride as a chef was wounded by the error. The ganache proved delicious, chocolatey and with just the right amount of heat. The drawback was how dense and heavy it was. Per my brother's suggestion, the next time I try this I will probably try to make the chocolate mixture into a mousse instead.)

Yeah...the chocolate seized on me. *sigh* Whatev, still tasted great.

 - Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ganache is cooled, at least 30 minutes and up to three days.

For the Topping:
1 pint fresh raspberries, carefully rinsed and dried
zest from one fresh lime
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
2 -3 Tablespoons of sour cream
cream or milk to taste

 - Arrange your raspberries in a pretty pattern over the chocolate mixture. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly, until the consistency of thick but pourable cream. Drizzle the creme over the berries, and refrigerate until ready to serve. (I made my creme a little too thick, so instead of a fashionable drizzle, I got plops. Flavorwise, however, it was a success: it added an edge of zesty tartness, and offset the heat of the jalapeño nicely.)

A proper drizzle would be prettier, but the flavor is great no matter what! A few curls of lime zest or some mint leaves would also be a pretty accompaniment.

      This should stay good in a fridge for at least two days. I like dark chocolate at the end of a big meal because it relaxes the stomach lining and aids in digestion (that's all fact, I'm not making it up) but since this tart is a bit heavy I suggest serving it in thin slices. Personally, I think it would make a great finale to an early dinner of grilled chicken and some southwest-inspired sides. It can be made ahead, it really doesn't take too long to make, and it's quite pretty (or at least it will be if you get the creme drizzle right). It's also different and I'm willing to bet nobody's seen a blue corn chip crust before, so you'll get points for creativity, too! So give it a shot...and give me some ideas for a name, while you're at it!