Valentine’s Day is nearly here and I wanted to make a special dessert for John. It didn’t need to be big because he’s not a big dessert lover but it needed to be chocolate. You know, that chocolate that gets you in the mood? Oh, right, maybe chocolate doesn’t do that for everyone.
Remember when I told you that after John’s heart attack he just started feeling better and then his computer died? No matter what he tried, it just wouldn’t reboot.
We think it’s probably because he has his office door open to the balcony much of the time and we live along the water and only 5 minutes from a surf beach so we do get ocean spray. All my appliances have a bit of rust here and there and that’s all due to the salt water. There is a price for living in paradise.
Living with a programmer with no decent computer has not been easy. I could have the title of saint but I won’t push it. He’s been worried and stressed and that’s not a good thing for someone dealing with a recent heart attack. The new computer seemed to take forever to build.
Today his new computer arrived. He had the cutest grin that went from ear to ear when he said, “Did you see how BIG it is?” When he got it cranked up and IM installed he sent me a message that said, “It’s quickish.”
I replied, “Only ish??? For that much money it should be fasty fast!”
“No programmer will ever tell you that his computer is fast enough, Maureen.”
Then it was dinner time and no John. I wanted to watch the news because there were all sorts of government goings on today. There was a ruling party revolt against the prime minister who once said that ‘nobody was the suppository of all wisdom.’ He survived the spill motion but I wanted to watch the interview and I didn’t want to watch it twice.
Finally, about 8pm he came down and announced his computer was really good. We had a nice dinner, watched the news and the interview and then I brought out this tart. It’s got a graham cracker and chocolate crust topped with thick chocolate pudding like you’d make for a pie. I topped it with cream and Bob’s your uncle.
I think if I made it again I’d make little tarts and just a couple of them because I’ll have to take the rest of this over to the nursing home tomorrow or I’ll eat it all.
- 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons cocoa (I used Dutch processed)
- ⅓ cup icing / powdered sugar
- 80 grams (about 6 tablespoons) melted butter
- 80 grams sugar
- 20 grams cocoa
- 4 eggs
- 50 grams cornflour / cornstarch
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F
- Put the graham cracker crumbs, icing sugar and cocoa in the Thermomix (or food processor) and whiz for 5 seconds on speed 6.
- Pour the crumb mixture into a bowl and pour over the melted butter and stir with a fork until combined.
- Pat into a tart pan and place in preheated oven for 13 minutes.
- Set aside.
- Place sugar and cocoa in the Thermomix and whiz for 5 seconds on speed 7.
- Add remaining ingredients and set the temperature to 90 and speed 4 for 7 minutes.
- Pour over tart shell, cover with plastic wrap and chill.
- Decorate with whipped cream and serve.