Chocolate And Mixed Nut Tart Recipes

CHOCOLATE AND MIXED NUT TART IN COOKIE CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Combine flour and sugar in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons cream and vanilla extract. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together. Press dough over bottom and up sides of 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before filling.)
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all nuts in processor; chop coarsely, using on/off turns. Whisk corn syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter in large bowl to blend. Whisk in eggs and vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in chocolate chips, then nuts. Transfer filling to prepared crust.
• Bake tart until firmly set in center and top is deep golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack 30 minutes. Push up pan bottom to release tart. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE AND MIXED NUT TART

Steps:

• FOR CRUST: Combine flour and sugar in a food processor.
• Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add 2 tablespoons cream and vanilla extract.
• Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by tablespoonful if dough is dry.
• Gather dough together.
• Press dough over bottom and up the sides of an 11-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• (I used a 9-inch pan with very little crust and filling left over.) (Dough can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill, but let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before filling.) FOR FILLING: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine all toasted nuts in a food processor; chop coarsely, using on/off turns.
• Whisk corn syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl to blend.
• Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract.
• Mix in chocolate chips, then nuts.
• Transfer filing to the prepared crust.
• Bake tart until firmly set in center and top is deep golden brown, about 50 minutes.
• Cool tart in pan on rack 30 minutes.
• Push up pan bottom to release tart.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

HONEY SALTED MIXED NUT TART

Steps:

• Cube 8 tablespoons of the butter and place it in the freezer until it is very cold and almost frozen, about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pulse the flour, 1/2 cup of the mixed nuts, 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Pulse in the cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pulse in 2 tablespoons ice-cold water until the dough holds together when squeezed. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap (it will still be quite crumbly), form into a disk, cover in the plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Put the dough in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press into an even layer over the bottom and up the sides of the pan with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Use a fork to dock the bottom of the tart. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the crust begin turning golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights and continue baking until the crust is lightly brown and dry to the touch, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the crust bakes, make the filling: Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, honey and a pinch of salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the vanilla extract and beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Arrange the remaining nuts (about 2 1/2 cups) in a flat layer in the tart shell and pour the filling over top.
• Bake until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place macadamia nuts in a medium skillet and toast over low heat, stirring often until golden brown all over, about 8 minutes. Do not burn. Set aside to cool completely.
• In a double boiler, combine the chocolate and butter and melt, stirring over moderate heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs, egg white, sugar and corn syrup until combined. Stir in the rum, the cooled chocolate mixture and the nuts until blended. Pour the filling into the partially baked chocolate pastry shell and bake for about 45 minutes, until the center is set and does not wiggle. Set aside to cool on a rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled, garnish with whipped cream.
• On a work surface, mix the flour and cocoa until well blended; form into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the remaining ingredients. Using your hands, slowly blend the ingredients in the well until partially mixed, then incorporate the flour and cocoa until completely combined and a soft dough forms. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. (see Note).
• Between 2 sheets of waxed paper, roll out dough into a 13-inch round. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Remove the waxed paper and transfer the dough to an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Fit the dough evenly into the pan and trim any overhanging pastry. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes more. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line the chilled shell with aluminum foil and weigh down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the weights and foil and bake for 5 minutes longer until set but slightly soft.
• Note: This is a cookie-like crust. The dough softens quickly once out of the refrigerator and is a bit difficult to transfer to the tart pan, but scraps can be used to repair any cracks.

VENUS' CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT TART

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup sugar until pale, about 3 minutes; beat in egg.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour and cocoa powder. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and gather the dough into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in waxed paper; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough into a 10 inch round and about 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer dough to an 8 inch tart pan, pressing dough evenly into pan; prick all over with a fork and freeze for 10 minutes.
• Bake tart shell in preheated oven for 12 minutes; transfer to a rack to cool.
• To make caramel: In a small saucepan over low heat, bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a simmer. In a heavy medium saucepan over high heat, gradually add 1/2 cup sugar in small amounts, stirring constantly, until it melts and turns golden brown. Remove saucepan from heat and slowly stir in hot cream; stir in 2 tablespoons butter and allow mixture to cool.
• To make chocolate cream: In a medium bowl, combine semisweet chocolate and liqueur. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream to a boil and pour it over chocolate; stir mixture with a wooden spoon until chocolate is melted and very smooth.
• Reserve 13 whole macadamia nuts and chop the rest. Pour cooled caramel into the cooled tart shell and spread evenly with a metal spatula; sprinkle chopped nuts over caramel. Pour chocolate cream on top and spread evenly.
• Arrange 10 whole nuts around the edge of the tart to mark 10 slices; place remaining 3 nuts in the center. Refrigerate the tart for 1 hour or until firm; serve.

CHOCOLATE-NUT CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Unroll pastry into a 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Press onto bottom and up sides of pan; trim pastry even with edge (discard trimmed pastry or save for another use). Generously prick bottom of crust with a fork. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack., Reserve 2 tablespoons Nutella for topping; spread remaining Nutella into cooled crust. In a small saucepan, combine caramels and cream; cook over medium-low heat until blended, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in macadamia nuts. Spread evenly over Nutella., In a microwave, heat reserved Nutella until warmed; drizzle over filling. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE NUTCRACKER TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Mix 1 cup flour and the salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball. Shape pastry into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Roll pastry into 12-inch round with floured rolling pin. Roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and transfer to ungreased 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Unroll pastry and ease into pan, pressing firmly against bottom. Trim overhanging edge of pastry even with top of tart pan.
• Beat brown sugar, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons flour and the eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into pastry-lined tart pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Beat all whipped cream ingredients in chilled small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon whipped cream around edge of tart.

CARAMEL NUT TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in cream cheese and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. , Roll out dough into a 10-in. circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges., Line unpricked crust with a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 400°., For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread into crust. , Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake until bubbly, for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

CARAMELIZED NUT TART

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in processor. Add butter. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in vanilla and enough ice water by tablespoonfuls to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll dough out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9 1/2-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming high-standing double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake crust until set but still pale in color, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
• Make filling:
• Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. Boil without stirring until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk in cream (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel is smooth. Add butter, honey and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Mix in all nuts.
• Pour caramel mixture into crust. Bake until filling bubbles all over, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
• Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over hot water just until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate decoratively over tart. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Serve with cream, if desired.