Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Tart

Serves: 12
Crust
9 oz. chocolate wafers, broken
2 tablespoons sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Chocolate Peppermint Filling
12 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped or broken
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
1½ cup heavy cream
1½ cup sugar
1½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Optional Toppings & Garnish
Sweetened whipped cream
Ice-cream
Colored sugar crystals with stencil
Crushed red and green candy canes with stencil

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. ​Lightly butter a 9” round springform pan with removable sides.
3. In a food processor, process the broken cookies until finely crumbled. Add the sugar and pulse until fully blended. Then add just enough melted butter to moisten the whole and make it malleable.
4. Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom and the sides of the prepared pan.
5. Place the cookie crumb pan in the oven and cook for 5 minutes, until the crust is firm. Remove to a rack and let cool.
6. Place the chocolate and the cold butter cubes in a medium bowl. Set aside momentarily.
7. ​In a small saucepan, bring the cream and the sugar to a steady simmer. When the sugar is completely dissolved, pour the cream and sugar mixture over the chocolate and butter in the bowl, whisking constantly until the chocolate and the butter are fully melted and blended.
8. Whisk in the peppermint extract until it is fully blended.
9. Pour the entire mixture into the prepared cookie crust. Set in the refrigerator and allow to cool for at least one hour.
10. ​Remove the tart from the refrigerator an hour before serving and garnish the tart as desired.