Fifty years ago when the children were young I would often prepare chocolate pudding, or individual dessert 'chocolate volcano' cakes (small chocolate cakes floating on a bed of chocolate pudding) because the children and their father enjoyed them so much and they were healthy enough fare. Their father still favours chocolate pudding and chocolate pie, and although I like chocolate, I don't care for it at all in pudding form.

Despite which, when I saw a newspaper article in the 'lifestyle' section of our local paper featuring a recipe for a white chocolate desert, I thought I'd give it a try. So yesterday morning I set about making the dessert, with a few alterations. Instead of white chocolate which my husband doesn't care for I substituted semi-sweet baking chocolate. And I used graham cracker crumbs, (adding cocoa powder) for the crust instead of chocolate cookie crumbs. I also used brandy flavouring instead of brandy alcohol. And I halved the recipe. And didn't prepare it in tart form but as squares.

The recipe clearly states that preparation time is 50 minutes, a considerable length of time as it is. But as you can see from the instructions below, that's not quite accurate, since the recipe instructs that the tart cannot be put together until the filling has 'set' in the refrigerator for 90 minutes, never mind the rest of the preparation time. You be the judge:

Here's the recipe for White Chocolate Cranberry Mousse Tart:
1. Cranberry compote:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 2 tbsp. brandy
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2. Chocolate crust:

• 1-1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

3. Chocolate mousse:

• 8 oz. chopped white baking chocolate
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2  tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. unflavoured gelatin powder, softened in 3 tbsp. cold water
• 1 cup whipping cream

1. Simmer cranberries with water, sugar and orange zest in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes until cranberries are tender and 'popped'. Remove from heat, stir in brandy and vanilla, and cool to room temperature before chilling until ready to use.


2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Stir cookie crumbs and butter and press into 9-inch fluted, removable-bottom tart pan. Bake for ten minutes, then cool.

3. Mousse: place white chocolate and butter into large bowl, place fine mesh sieve over top; set aside. Heat milk in saucepan over medium heat to just below simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together. Pour hot milk into egg mixture gradually, whisking the while. Return liquid to saucepan and continue to whisk over medium heat until glossy and thickened, about four minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in softened gelatin. Pour custard mixture into fine mesh sieve and strain over white chocolate and butter. Whisk together until chocolate and butter have melted completely into custard. Cool to room temperature.

4. Whip cream until it holds a soft peak, then fold into cooled chocolate mixture for chocolate mousse. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until set slightly but still soft, about 90 minutes.

5. To assemble tart, spread half of mousse over bottom of tart shell. Stir chilled cranberry compote to loosen and spoon over the centre of tart, spreading gently to edges. Spoon remaining half of mousse into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe around the edge of tart. Chill until ready to serve.

I had my own ideas of finishing the tart and they didn't include a piping bag. By the time the tart was ready to assemble I just wanted to get it over with. My end product didn't reflect the beautiful photograph that had accompanied the recipe in the newspaper. And I wasn't certain, as I am so often when I prepare a special dessert to cap off our Friday evening meal, that this one would be as delicious as most others are, most of which I prepare from memory or inspiration.

But when I did serve it at the finish of our meal last night, my husband's enthusiasm for it made the effort well worth while. And though he seldom asks for second helpings of dessert, this time he (gratifyingly for me) helped himself to another serving, and that made me feel pretty good.

Did I like it myself? Not so much.