Saturday Night

Went to a great party last night.  Everyone brought a dish.  I brought dessert.  The recipe is in January's Bon Appetit.  It is called Chocolate-Nut Tart with dried fruit.  It is in the Healthy bites section.  I find it hard to believe that a 405 calorie, 29 fat gram per slice dessert is good for me, but you only live once.  It was unbelievably easy.  If you have never made a pie or tart before, you will be successful.  First you need a 10 dia. tart pan with a removable bottom.  Next from the refrigerator you take a Pillsbury premade pie crust.  You only need one so freeze the other half for later.  They keep indefinately.  I've tried other pre-made crusts, but I think this one tastes the best.  Place it in the tart pan and prick all over with a fork to keep the bottom from puffing up.  Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes until golden.  Cool on a rack.  After it is cool spread on the bottom 1/4 cup of preserves.  BA said raspberry, I used 2T of fig and 2T of ginger instead.  Next warm 1/2 cup of cream on the stove and add 12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chips, bittersweet not the semisweet.  Wisk until smooth and shinning.  You have just made a ganache.  Add a cup of nuts and a cup of dried fruit.  For the nuts I used 1/3 of pecans, almonds, and pistachios.  The diried fruit was a 5 oz. package of mixed berrieds I bought at Target.  Instead of toffee bits in the recipe, I sprinkled the top with 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut and 1/4 cup of crystallized ginger.  I served each slice with a dallop of freshly made whipped cream (heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla) and fresh raspberries and black berries. 
The other guests supplied the main dish, beef, scalloped potatoes(BA, Nov 2009, page 122) carrots, salad appetizers and wonderful mushroom soup course served in a very elligant manner.  So, Saturday night was filled with delightful conversation and great food.