Moist Chocolate Orange Tart

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake

• 0.5 cups butter, room temperature
• 0.5 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup premium flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 0.5 tsp salt

Chocolate-orange melting filling

• White of 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 large eggs, separate the yolks from the whites
• 0.5 cup sugar, divided
• 2 tsp finely grated orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 90 g dark chocolate, melted (but warm)
• 2 tbsp. l. orange liqueur

Preparation:

1. Cake: Beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth, then add the yolks all at once and beat well again.
   
   In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Knead the chocolate dough a couple of times on a lightly floured work surface to soften it, then roll it out to a thickness of less than 0.5 cm. Cut circles from the dough to line eight 10 cm fluted tart pans (ideally with removable bottoms). Press the dough into the pans and trim off any excess. Prick the dough with a fork. Refrigerate the pans for at least 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Place the chilled tart shells on a baking sheet and bake for about 18 minutes, until the crust is evenly opaque. As soon as you remove the shells from the oven, brush the tops with lightly beaten egg white (this creates a protective layer that prevents the filling from soaking the shells). Let the shells cool while you prepare the filling.
4. FillingBeat the remaining 3 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating on high speed with a lifted whisk until soft peaks form. Set aside.
5. Whisk 3 egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and orange zest until pale and thick. Fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the cocoa powder, then whisk in the melted chocolate and orange liqueur.
6. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shells and bake for about 8 minutes (at 175°C), until the tarts are opaque around the edges but still dark and shiny in the center. Cool the tarts for 2 minutes, then carefully unmold them and serve warm.
   
   You can also prepare the filling ahead of time, fill the tarts, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Just increase the baking time by 2-3 minutes.