Let's Play A Game...

Today we're playing a game called "What Meredith Is Most Excited About in Her New Apartment."  For the first picture, I seriously contemplated taking a picture of Mike, but he's sleeping and I think it's a little too soon to really annoy him.  So these are the next best things :)

I love these giraffes... thank you mom and thank you Anthropologie for feeding my obsession with giraffes.

I know this is strange.. but this is one awesome oven mitt.

Mike's step dad made us this table.  How freakin' awesome is that!  Love. It.

This might be the most comfortable pillow ever.

And last but not least... having my own kitchen.  Mike doesn't usually enter the kitchen unless he's going to the fridge, so I'm considering it mine.  (Side note: he does make me breakfast sometimes.. and when he does, it is always delicious!)

I still have yet to go grocery shopping (and I've been here for 3 days), so I'm posting a recipe that I wish I could make right now.  This is the richest, most decadent dessert you will ever make.  It is so good.  It's pretty time consuming, but overall its a really easy dessert to make.  I got it from Here!

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Crust

Nine chocolate graham crackers, finely ground

Five tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup of sugar

Filling

1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preserves

1/4 cup raspberry preserves

Glaze

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 and 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon warm water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   

To make crust, combine graham crackers, butter and sugar in small bowl.   Press mixture into a nine or ten inch tart pan, distributing evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until firm.    Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Add 9 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate to medium bowl.   Set aside.

Heat 1 and 1/4 cup heavy cream in small pot on stove over high heat just until boiling point is reached.   Remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together two eggs, vanilla extract and salt. 

After 5 minutes, slowly stir to combine chocolate and cream until it comes together in a smooth filling.   After combining, stir in egg mixture. 

Pour filling into cooled crust.    Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes.    Remove from oven and set aside.   The tart will continue to cook after removing to fully set the chocolate filling.   Cool tart for an hour.

Heat 1/4 cup of raspberry preserves in microwave for 30 seconds until spreadable.   Using pastry brush, spread thin layer of preserves on top of cooled tart filling. 

To make glaze, heat 2 tablespoons heavy cream on stove until boiling.   Pour over remaining chopped chocolate in small bowl and stir to combine.    Add corn syrup and water to form a glaze.   

Pour glaze over the top of raspberry layer and shake tart pan until it reaches all edges.   Set aside for approximately an hour until glaze has set. 

Last time I made this dessert, it was pre-blog, hence the cell phone picture.  I'm working on my photography... kind of.  But really - go check out the pictures on the site I got it from and you will start drooling.