Pear and chocolate cake-tart

I came across this recipe in food blogger extraordinaire Clotilde Dusoulier's book "Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris."
Dusoulier, the blogger behind Chocolate & Zucchini, a delectable compendium of recipes and anecdotes has never steered me wrong before.
Be it the chocolate-dipped hazelnut marbles; tarte tomate a la tatin or pistachio and chorizo cake; or the mini-financiers au miel, I often refer to this French foodie's cookbook for some inspiration.

So when I saw her recipe for this cake-tart hybrid, I was smitten. I love poached pears, and I love deep, dark chocolate, and a marriage between the two seemed like fate.

If you can't find Dusoulier's book at your local library or bookstore, you can find the recipe for this tarte-gateau here on the MSNBC website.

Substitutions:

I didn't make any.

Would I make this again?

Indeed I would, but for the right crowd. If your guests don't have a sweet tooth or delight in the rich, gooey texture of a molten chocolate cake or bread pudding, then this is not for them.

Next time, however, I will poach the pears for longer, and I will also cut them into more narrow pieces to ensure they are completely submerged under the liquid when it is simmering to avoid any inconsistencies in texture.

I felt a bit as though the presentation of this tarte was drab, and that it needed a bit more colour, perhaps.

I'm not sure yet how I could improve it's appearance but I am open to suggestions!

Grade:

Four stars out of five. The crust was light in texture and the dense chocolate filling was not overly sweet. This is one of those cakes, pardon me, cake-tarts that will sate your sweet tooth after just one slice. Serve it with a strong, bitter espresso or port to bring out the right notes.

Still, I wasn't so impressed by its appearance as I mentioned above. The fact that it is not a typical chocolate ganache -- and that the surface is mottled in texture -- subtracted marks from what could have been five stars out of five.