Pear and chocolate cake-tart

I came across this recipe in food blogger extraordinaire Clotilde Dusoulier’s book “Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris.”
Dusoulier, the blogger behind Chocolate & Zucchini, a delectable compendium of recipes and anecdotes has never steered me wrong before.
Be it the chocolate-dipped hazelnut marbles; tarte tomate a la tatin or pistachio and chorizo cake; or the mini-financiers au miel, I often refer to this French foodie’s cookbook for some inspiration.

So when I saw her recipe for this cake-tart hybrid, I was smitten. I love poached pears, and I love deep, dark chocolate, and a marriage between the two seemed like fate.

If you can’t find Dusoulier’s book at your local library or bookstore, you can find the recipe for this tarte-gateau here on the MSNBC website.

I didn’t make any.

Indeed I would, but for the right crowd. If your guests don’t have a sweet tooth or delight in the rich, gooey texture of a molten chocolate cake or bread pudding, then this is not for them.

Next time, however, I will poach the pears for longer, and I will also cut them into more narrow pieces to ensure they are completely submerged under the liquid when it is simmering to avoid any inconsistencies in texture.

I felt a bit as though the presentation of this tarte was drab, and that it needed a bit more colour, perhaps.

I’m not sure yet how I could improve it’s appearance but I am open to suggestions!

Four stars out of five. The crust was light in texture and the dense chocolate filling was not overly sweet. This is one of those cakes, pardon me, cake-tarts that will sate your sweet tooth after just one slice. Serve it with a strong, bitter espresso or port to bring out the right notes.

Still, I wasn’t so impressed by its appearance as I mentioned above. The fact that it is not a typical chocolate ganache — and that the surface is mottled in texture — subtracted marks from what could have been five stars out of five.