Bittersweet chocolate tart recipe from Venice chef Amanda Cushman

If your vision of a romantic night at home isn't complete without chocolate, you'll love this deep, dark chocolate tart from Venice chef Amanda Cushman. This simple recipe combines a crumbly chocolate tart crust with a silky-smooth chocolate custard filling. And if you like this one, you'll love the rest of the recipes in Cushman's beautiful cookbook Simple, Real Food, available via her website or at any of her immensely popular cooking classes around town.

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart from Simple, Real Food (makes one 9-inch tart)

Dough:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 5 Tbsp butter, cold, cut into 10 pieces
• 1 large egg

Filling:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp cocoa powder, sifted, for topping

Make the dough: Combine the flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder in a processor and pulse several times. Add the butter and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and pulse until dough comes together. Remove from the processor and form into a disk. Wrap and chill for one hour.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Roll out the dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit the dough into the pan and press into the sides, leaving a half-inch of the dough to hang over the sides. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Chill one hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until well browned. Cool completely.

Make the filling: In a medium saucepan bring the cream, milk and sugar to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until melted. Let cool to lukewarm and whisk in the egg until blended.

Pour the custard into the shell and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until almost set. Transfer to a rack to cool. Sift the cocoa powder over the top of the tart and serve warm or at room temperature.