Chocolate Goat Cheese Mousse Tart
This week has been crazy busy. Between my baby sister graduating high school and my blog going down for the day yesterday, add on top of that our normal work load and being out of town last weekend and next weekend, I’m ready for a break. Luckily, this weekend our trip is to visit friends and spend time on the lake. It’s exactly what I need at this point.
Early June is one of my favorite times of the year for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s my birthday month. Yes, I’m one of those obnoxious people who expect you to care that one day out of the entire month is my birthday. Lucky for me, Hubby humors me and lets me talk about my birthday month like it’s completely normal. What would I do without him?
Second, it’s strawberry season. I *wish* I could live in a part of the world where strawberry season lasted months. But around these parts, it’s only a few precious weeks in June. Hubby and I haven’t found anywhere to strawberry pick yet this year (recommendations anyone?), but I’ve been enjoying the strawberries that come in our CSA box every week.
The majority of our strawberries are being eaten straight up. The other night we threw some angel food cake on the grill and topped it with strawberries. It was amazing.
And, of course, I always bake with strawberries during strawberry season. I have posted quite a few strawberry recipes in the past 5+ years. This chocolate goat cheese mousse tart might be one of my favorites of all time.
It starts with a chocolate graham cracker crust. Next up comes a silky chocolate mousse. The original recipe used all cream cheese, but I threw in half goat cheese, half cream cheese. I know strawberries and goat cheese pair together nicely and who doesn’t love a little tanginess in their dessert? Last, but definitely not least, fresh strawberries top off this dessert. It’s seriously a winner and I think you should make it this summer.
Two Years Ago: Challah Bread and Freezable Lemon Bars
Three Years Ago: Strawberry and Spinach Salad and Strawberry and Blueberry Jam
Four Years Ago: It’s an Appliance Party! and Turkey Chili
Five Years Ago: Deceptively Delicious Brownies
Chocolate Goat Cheese Mousse Tart
Goat cheese provides a great tanginess that compliments the chocolate and strawberries. If you don't like goat cheese, just use 8 oz of cream cheese and eliminate the goat cheese.
Yield: Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
For the Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
For the Filling
1 cup whipping cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz goat cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
200 gram dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
10 fresh strawberries, halved
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat over to 350F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish.
To prepare crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and cocoa powder in a small bowl, and mix until a moist yet crumbly mixture forms.
Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pie dish.
Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare filling, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until it holds firm peaks. Remove cream from bowl and keep cold in fridge.
In the same bowl, use a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and goat cheese until it’s soft and creamy.
Add sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate, continue beating until combined.
Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten the mixture, then add the remaining cream and continue folding until incorporated.
Pour the cream mixture in the cooled crust. Smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange strawberries on top of the pie.
Refrigerate the pie until set, about 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the pie before serving.
Recipe adapted from Oh Sweet Day
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
What an awesome way to feature goat cheese in a dessert! I never thought of turning it into a chocolate mousse – sounds like I need to try this soon.
beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 8:51 am
You definitely should. I know goat cheese isn’t for everyone, but we really enjoyed the subtle flavor in the mousse.
Jen, I love everything about this tart – from the chocolate crust to the mousse and the pretty strawberries on top. Yum! Enjoy your birthday month
beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 8:52 am
Thanks for humoring me on the whole birthday month thing
Ohhh lalalalala, I totally dig this dessert even more because it has goat cheese and strawberries…some of my fave foods!! Happy Birthday month…you better party and eat like it’s your birthday!!
beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 1:52 pm
Oh I’m definitely going to party like it’s my birthday! All month long
oh yes to the goat cheese in this tart! fabulous. happy birthday month
you might need to make this a few more times to celebrate?!
beantownbaker — June 10th, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
Oh I have been baking plenty of deliciousness this month to celebrate
You know how hard it is to repeat recipes…
Love the idea of incorporating goat cheese in a dessert- I have never seen it down with chocolate before. I will definitely be trying this soon as I have some goat cheese in my fridge waiting to be used
beantownbaker — June 11th, 2013 @ 7:20 am
Oh yea, goat cheese and chocolate go really well together.
Oh my, the use of goat cheese in this is phenomenal! I would love to try it!
beantownbaker — June 11th, 2013 @ 8:46 am
Definitely do! And you could top it with any fruit you like. I think raspberries would be good too.
Chocolate must work great with goat cheese since they’re both utterly delicious!! This recipe looks magnificent omg I think I would be able to eat the whole tart by myself *-*
Goat cheese is one of my favorite ingredients to use in desserts, and your tart looks soooo delicious! Thanks for sharing =) Definitely a must try this summer.
Oh wow this is gorgeous! I love this recipe, I bet it tastes heavenly!
I just finished making my second one for this week…we love it…it is so smooth and rich and well D E L I C I O U S!!!…my grandson requested the second one but truth be told I was gonna make it anyway…the bittersweet chocolate and the cocoa in the crust are what make it….if anyone out there hasn’t tried it do so you will be in love….
beantownbaker — June 25th, 2013 @ 5:38 pm
So glad you’ve enjoyed it! I definitely need to make this again. I have already made it with raspberries but want to try blackberries next.
you wont believe it but I made this AGAIN yesterday…I did a play on bananas foster on the top…it was a hit with my company…and good recipes for sweets for the 4th?..lol….
beantownbaker — July 3rd, 2013 @ 5:02 pm
Wow – bananas foster on top. I would never have thought of that! I am making this tart and this strawberry shortcake for the 4th.
So sinful and delicious looking
Holy yumminess. I never thought of putting goat cheese in. My mouth is watering at the thought. Strawberries are my absolute favorite berry of all time. I will have to for sure try this recipe, Got it saved to my personal file. thank you.
I love chocolate mousse and I love goat cheese, so clearly I need to make this!
Also, there is strawberry picking (not sure it is organic though if that matters) up here near Oxford. I can get you the info for next year if driving up here is not a problem (I imagine it depends on what side of Cinci you live
).
beantownbaker — August 4th, 2013 @ 6:44 pm
I definitely don’t mind driving for freshly picked strawberries!!
I love absolutely EVERYTHING about this recipe! It’s hard to beat mixing tangy goat cheese with chocolate and berries. What a unique recipe!
beantownbaker — September 25th, 2013 @ 4:11 pm
It tastes as good as it sounds! I hope you try it.