Caramel Pistachio Torte With Halvah And Dark Chocolate Recipes

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO FUDGE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the crust: Place the pistachios, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to roughly chop. Add the graham crackers and pulse until finely chopped. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the springform pan. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream, vanilla and salt until just beginning to simmer around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 2 minutes, and then whisk until smooth and shiny. Pour the chocolate filling over the crust and sprinkle with the chopped apricots. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until ready to serve.
• Serve with whipped cream if desired.

CARAMEL-PISTACHIO TORTE WITH HALVAH AND DARK CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Combine flour, halvah, sugar, and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, process until blended to sandy texture. Add butter. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons ice water in small bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into 2 balls; flatten into disks. Wrap separately in plastic. Chill 1 hour.
• For filling:
• Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil until syrup turns deep amber or clip-on candy thermometer registers 360°F, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 11 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). Remove from heat. Carefully stir in cream (mixture will bubble). Add butter and whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in pistachios. Cool until lukewarm but still pourable, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Roll out 1 dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper to 11-inch round (dough will be about 1/3 inch thick). Remove top paper. Invert dough into prepared pan. Remove remaining paper. Trim dough overhang. Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper to 10-inch round. Pour filling into prepared crust. Brush edges of crust with egg white. Remove top paper from second dough disk. Invert over filling. Remove paper. Press dough around pan edges to trim and seal.
• Place torte on baking sheet and bake until crust is golden, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Chill overnight.
• For glaze:
• Bring cream and butter just to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and corn syrup; whisk until smooth. Cool 5 minutes.
• Place rack over rimmed baking sheet. Remove sides from tart pan. Invert torte onto rack. Remove bottom of tart pan. Pour warm glaze over torte (bottom of torte becomes top). Let stand until glaze sets. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
• Slice into thin wedges and serve.
• *A sesame confection available at delicatessens, Middle Eastern markets, supermarkets, and Italian markets.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• Prepare chocolate dough: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until blended.
• Sift flour into dough mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch tart pan. (You can use a 9-inch pan, but the crust will be thicker and the caramel may take longer to set in step 4.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart with foil, and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, and bake until pastry is dry and set, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Prepare caramel filling: In a large saucepan, bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally, until mixture is a medium amber color, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Caramel will continue to cook and darken off of the heat. Carefully but quickly whisk in the butter, cream, creme fraiche and salt until smooth (mixture will bubble up). Pour hot caramel into tart, and allow to cool and set, at least 1 hour.
• Prepare chocolate glaze: Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over tart, tilting tart for even coverage. Refrigerate until tart is set, at least one hour, then sprinkle with a few granules of fleur de sel. Keep refrigerated until serving.

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO TORTE

Steps:

• Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove bowl from pan. Whisk in sugar and vanilla, then eggs, buttermilk, and pistachios. Fold in flour mixture just until combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; run a knife around edge, and invert onto a wire rack. Remove paper, and let cool completely, about 3 hours. (To store, wrap in plastic, and keep at room temperature, up to 3 days).
• Make ganache: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer; remove from heat. Add chocolate, and let stand 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Let cool until mixture falls back in ribbons when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 6 minutes.
• Set cake on a serving platter; tuck strips of parchment paper under edge of cake to prevent ganache from dripping on platter. Pour ganache onto center of cake; using a table knife, spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes. Remove paper from under cake; sprinkle top with pistachios.

DARK CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like sand. Add the egg yolk and 4 teaspoons cold water; pulse until the dough comes together and forms a ball, adding up to 2 more teaspoons water if necessary. Press the dough into a 9-inch fluted tart pan in an even layer. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust looks dry, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake 5 more minutes. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the filling: Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, until the sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until the caramel is a dark amber color, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Remove the caramel from the heat and add the heavy cream; whisk until the caramel stops bubbling. Stir in the vanilla and fine salt. Let cool to room temperature.
• Combine the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Let melt completely, about 10 minutes, then stir to combine. Remove the bowl from the pan and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Whisk the egg yolks and whole egg in a large bowl until frothy, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the caramel, then the melted chocolate mixture. Set the tart pan on a large rimmed baking sheet; pour the filling into the crust.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake until the tart is set around the edges but the center is still jiggly, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully set, at least 3 hours. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving.

MILK CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO TART

Steps:

• Coat a 9-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Make the crust: Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, chopped pistachios, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, and beat until pale, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla, then flour mixture; beat until just combined and dough holds together when pressed between 2 fingers. Press dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Roll out dough to an 11-inch round, 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Press dough into bottom and up sides of tart pan. Trim excess dough flush with edges of pan using a knife. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Bake until firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely; reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the pistachio paste: Pulse pistachios, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until mixture begins to clump together. Add oil, and pulse until smooth and pastelike. Spread evenly into bottom of cooled tart shell, pressing firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup until flat and smooth.
• Make the filling: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling; pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in egg until combined. Place tart shell on a baking sheet, and pour in filling. Bake until just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool. Garnish with finely chopped pistachios.