By the 1660's the drinking of chocolate had become a rage by many "top people" in England.  Chocolate was considered a morning-after cure for excessive drinking and a hangover.....

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Pear and Chocolate Tart

a very exotic dessert

for the pastry shell use:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbsps butter
5 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbspoon sugar
1 egg beaten
pinch of salt

for the filling use:

1-1/4 cups whipping cream
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate 3 ripe pears
confectioners sugar
raspberries to decorate plate

Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt into a bowl.  Cut butter in small pieces and mix into mixture until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Add enough egg to bind the dough.  Gather together into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Roll out chilled dough and line a 10" tart pan with a removable bottom.  Lower the temperature to 325 and bake for five minutes longer, until the pastry is dry in the center.

To make the filling, bring the cream to a boil then pour over the chocolate and stir to make a ganache.   Place the pear quarters on the pastry shell and pour the ganache over the pears.   Return to the over for 20 minutes until the filling begins to set.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.   Garnish with raspberries.  Serves 8

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