Chocolate Tart With Honey Glazed Pecans Recipes

HONEY-PECAN TART WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Boil 4 cups pecans (reserve remaining 1/2 cup for garnish) with sugar, honey, cream, milk, and salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid is golden, about 20 minutes (mixture will appear curdled at first, but then become thick and smooth). Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a shallow bowl, then cool completely, about 40 minutes.
• Prepare tart shell:
• Roll out larger disk of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap (or 2 overlapping sheets for each side if necessary) into a 13-inch round (1/8 inch thick), then remove parchment from top and invert dough into tart pan set on a baking sheet, pressing onto bottom and side of pan and leaving overhang. Chill shell at least 30 minutes. Roll out remaining disk between 2 large sheets of parchment or plastic wrap into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick) and chill on a baking sheet at least 30 minutes.
• Bake tart:
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
• If nut filling is very firm, warm slightly in a saucepan over low heat until softened but not warm. Spread filling in tart shell, smoothing top. Brush overhang of bottom crust with water. Remove parchment from remaining round of dough and arrange round over tart filling, gently rolling a rolling pin along edge to seal and trim excess.
• Bake tart (in pan) on baking sheet until pastry is golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack set on a large plate 15 minutes. Carefully remove side of pan and cool tart completely, about 2 hours.
• Make glaze while tart cools:
• Put chopped chocolate in a shallow bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and pour over chocolate, then whisk gently (to avoid air bubbles) until chocolate is completely melted.
• Pour warm glaze over top of tart and gently spread with an offset spatula to evenly cover top, allowing chocolate to drizzle down side. Let tart stand until glaze is set, at least 30 minutes.
• Garnish tart:
• Rinse reserved 1/2 cup pecans in a sieve, then pat dry and carefully shave very thin slices (less than 1/32 inch) using slicer, checking thickness of first shavings on a plate before starting to shave pecans directly onto tart. If you don't have a slicer, finely chop.

CHOCOLATE-PECAN TART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, and almonds in processor until nuts are finely ground. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until coarse meal forms. Add egg; blend just until dough forms. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 1 hour.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom and trim edges. Refrigerate crust 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until golden brown, about 17 minutes.
• For filling:
• Stir sugar and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil mixture without stirring until syrup turns golden brown, swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides often with wet pastry brush, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup whipping cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Remove mixture from heat. Place milk chocolate and honey in medium bowl. Pour caramel over and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in chopped pecans. Transfer filling to crust. Chill until set, about 4 hours.
• Place bittersweet chocolate in small bowl. Bring remaining 1/3 cup cream to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate mixture evenly over tart. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep refrigerated.) Cut tart into wedges and serve.

CHOCOLATE PECAN TART

Steps:

• To make the crust:
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse two or three times to combine. Add the butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water by drizzling about 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each drizzle. Stop once the dough begins to come together.
• Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to press it together. Pat into a disk approximately 6 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 13 to 14-inch circle, flouring the dough and board as necessary to keep it from sticking. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into the tart pan. Gently lift the edges to ease the dough into the corners of the pan, then push the dough down gently to be certain the dough around the sides is 1/4 inch thick. Use a paring knife to cut excess dough from the rim of the pan. If necessary, pat a bit of the dough trimmings into any thin spots. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375degreesF. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
• Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the parchment and weights, and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the bottom of the crust and bake for an additional minute, just to melt the chocolate. Remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to spread the chocolate in an even layer. Let cool on a rack while you prepare the filling. Raise the oven temperature to 400degreesF.
• To make the filling:
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, swirling the pan so the caramel colors evenly. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush with a wet pastry brush. Test the color of the caramel by drizzling a few drops onto a white plate. When the color is medium to dark amber, remove from the heat. Slowly and carefully - it will bubble up - add the cream.
• Return the caramel to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes to thicken slightly, reducing the heat to medium-low if the caramel bubbles too much. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
• Place the tart shell on a baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla, egg, and yolk. Slowly whisk into the caramel. Stir in the melted butter, followed by the nuts and nibs, if using. Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell. The filling will come to the top of the shell. (If the crust has shrunk during baking, it may not hold all the filling.)
• Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375degreesF and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling is set.
• Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. While still warm, move the tart in the pan to loosen the edges where the caramel has stuck, but keep it in the pan.
• Let cool completely before removing the tart ring.
• Serve each wedge of tart with a dollop of the cocoa whipped cream.
• Cocoa Whipped Cream:
• Place the cream in a chilled metal bowl or mixer bowl. With a whisk, or the whisk attachment, whip the cream until slightly frothy. Combine the sugar with the cocoa powder. Sprinkle into the cream and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.