Deconstructed.

Deconstructed Chocolate Covered Strawberry, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Yesterday I headed over to my moms house. It was a surprisingly warm and gorgeously sunny day here in Bellingham on Sunday. There were only a few clouds in the sky. It was a welcome taste of what's to come in the coming months. After over three hours in working on her five acres, chopping down trees and tearing at blackberries, I was so tired (and sore) that I decided to stay for dinner. After a scrumptious sunday dinner consisting of flank steak, fresh peas, and twice baked potatoes I was surprised to hear there was dessert, homemade nonetheless! Kevin had made a bittersweet chocolate tart that they'd seen Giada make earlier that weekend. For whatever reason, they'd decided to top this already delicious tart with fresh strawberries. Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd like it, when in fact, I was so incredibly excited about not only the tart, but the pairing, that I immediately knew I had to blog about it. It was like an incredible inside out (or as I dubbed it; deconstructed) chocolate covered strawberries. Amazing. A little more work than simply dipping a piece of fruit, but well worth it.

Recipe: Chocolate Ganache Tart with Honey and Almonds
Adapted from Giada De Laurentis

1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature, plus extra for coating the pan
9 chocolate graham crackers, 5 1/2-ounces total
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Place the graham crackers and almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture forms fine crumbs, about 15 to 20 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until incorporated. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

In a small saucepan, whisk the cream and honey together over low heat until the honey has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to just below a boil. Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the mixture is smooth. Pour the chocolate filling over the prepared crust, sprinkle with additional slivered almonds. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.

Loosen the tart from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the edge. Unmold the tart and transfer to a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve with fresh strawberries.

Deconstructed Chocolate Covered Strawberry, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.