Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Maybe I started off this week being too cocky of a baker. I totally kicked that Chocolate Gooey Pudding's butt. I mean, I don't want to brag but I could totally give Betty Crocker a run for her money. However, the baking spirits paid me back for my pride by sending me on an emotional roller coaster, over a freaking tart.

I decided on the tart since it was in the same cookbook which had so far treated me well. Lindsey and I decided that since the whole cooking AND baking that had gone so well last week, we should definitely do it again. This week we made chicken with an asian sweet chili sauce along with some rice and stir fry vegetables. I'm not going to even try to explain how good it was...all I'm going to say is that it was good last night that we are making it again tonight.

We were so proud of ourselves and the delicious dinner that we made. Well, to be honest, Lindsey really made the dinner while I was focusing on our dessert. Everything was going great. The tart was in the oven and we were relaxing and mentally preparing for another amazing dessert. I had told Lindsey to tell her sister about having some and also Kendall's boyfriend. And seriously, the baking spirits were totally having a good time messing with me and talking to each other saying "Oh, haha, that Becca, wanting to be nice and share her dessert. Let's mess it up so she will be totally embarrassed and everyone will think she's a crappy baker. That will teach her for making a baking blog".

The buzzer on the oven went off and I was hesitant to take the tart out. It just didn't look like it had...settled. It was too liquidy. I kept adding three minutes and then three more and then more and more. Eventually, I got worried and just decided to take it out and hope that once it had cooled, it might settle.

However, my lack of patience kicked in and I grabbed a knife and cut into the tart dying to know if it had turned out okay. Once the knife hit, I knew the answer. It was if it was chocolate soup with raspberry pieces. The filling tasted good, but it wasn't pretty, and not what it was supposed to be like. Of course my roommates tried to cheer me up by saying it still tasted good. But still. I sat on the couch and my roommates tried to get my mind off the matter by watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy but I constantly got up to check to see if the tart had magically settled. It hadn't.

After thinking about crying due to failing at my blog subject, I decided to try and put it in the fridge. When making chocolate cream pies out of chocolate Jello pudding, I had always put them in the fridge to help them become solid. After a few hours, I checked back and TA DA! The tart had settled! No longer was it a chocolate ocean with raspberry fish. It was a tart! A TART!

My mood changed instantly. No longer was I a failure. That stupid tart had made me doubt all of my self worth. How pathetic is that?

Kendall had saved her piece until after it had been in the fridge. As she sat and ate it, I tried to not gain too much confidence about my baking skills again. But I had a little when she said, "this is the best dessert I have ever had". I'm sure she was just trying to prevent me from crying and laying in a ball on the floor with my stuffed animal whining about being single, and lame, and a crappy baker. But her compliments still worked.

Although the tart didn't turn out to be my prettiest dessert, it was still a delicious one. Hopefully the baking spirits will take it easy on me next week.