Salted Cashew Bittersweet Chocolate Tart Recipes

CHOCOLATE CASHEW TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually add the butter with the motor running. Add the egg yolks and water, and mix until just incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a flat rectangle and wrap it tightly in plastic. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least an hour or up to 2 days.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out until 1/8-inch thick. Brush away any excess flour, and cut out eight 3 1/2-inch rounds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eight 2-inch ring molds on the baking sheet, and top them with the dough rounds. Trim the top edge, and press the dough into the base of each ring to ensure there are no air pockets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle position. Bake the shells for 7 to 8 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the shells cool completely; then unmold them.
• Make the caramel filling. Combine the sugar, water, syrup and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan and cook to a dark amber color, about 8 minutes, over medium heat. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the cream until warm. Remove the caramelized sugar from the heat and deglaze the pan with the warmed cream. Return the caramel to low heat and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk the butter into the caramel.
• Make the chocolate ganache. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and syrup to a boil. Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and gradually pour it over the chocolate, stirring to emulsify. Let the ganache cool to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and then stir in the butter.
• Assemble the tarts. Arrange the tart shells on a clean baking sheet and line the bottom of each shell with some cashews, to reach about halfway up the sides. Reserve additional cashews for garnishing.
• Warm the caramel if necessary, and spoon just enough to cover the cashews in each shell. The shells at this stage should be only one-half to two-thirds full, allowing ample space for the ganache. Let the tarts stand for up to 30 minutes to let the caramel set slightly.
• Warm the ganache if necessary, and fill the remaining space in each tart with the ganache. Let the tarts stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour, at room temperature, to let the ganache set.
• To serve, place a finished tart on the center of each plate, and garnish with some cashews, some candied lemon peel, and a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

SALTED CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• For the base: Snap the oreos into pieces and drop them into the bowl of a food processor. Do likewise with the chocolate, then blitz them together until you have crumbs. Add the butter and salt, and blitz again until the mixture starts to clump together. If you're doing this by hand, bash the cookies in a freezer bag until they form crumbs, finely chop the chocolate and melt the butter, then mix everything, along with the salt, in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or your hands encased in disposable gloves.
• Press the mixture into a 23-centimeter/10-inch deep-sided, loose-bottomed flan or tart pan. Pat down on the bottom and up the sides of the pan with your hands or the back of a spoon, so that the base and sides are evenly lined and smooth. Put into the fridge to chill and harden for at least 1 hour, or 2 hours if your fridge is stacked. I wouldn't keep it for longer than a day like this as the Oreo crust tends to get too crumbly.
• For the filling: Finely chop the chocolate. Put the corn starch into a cup and whisk in the milk until smooth. Pour the cream into a heavy-based saucepan into which all the ingredients can fit and be stirred without splashing out of the pan, then add the finely chopped rubble of chocolate, the sieved cocoa (or just sieve it straight in), espresso or instant coffee powder, sugar, vanilla paste or extract, olive oil and smoked salt. Place over a medium to low heat and whisk gently--I use a very small whisk for this, as I'm not aiming to get air in the mixture, I'm just trying to banish any lumpiness--as the cream heats and the chocolate starts melting.
• Off the heat, whisk in the corn starch and milk mixture until it, too, is smoothly incorporated, and put the pan back on a low heat. With a wooden spoon, keep stirring until the mixture thickens, which it will do around the 10-minute mark, but be prepared for it to take a few minutes more or less. Take the pan off the heat every so often, still stirring, so that everything melds together, without the cream coming to a boil. When ready, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, and if you run your finger through it (across the back of the spoon) the line should stay.
• Pour the mixture into a wide measuring jug or batter jug (it should come to about the 600 milliliter/2 1/2 cup mark). Now run a piece of baking parchment or greaseproof paper under cold water, wring it out and place the damp, crumpled piece right on top of the chocolate mixture, then put the jug into the fridge for 15 minutes. The mixture will still be warm, but will be the right temperature to ooze into the base without melting it.
• Pour and scrape the mixture into the cookie-lined tart pan and put it back in the fridge overnight. Don't leave it longer than 24 hours, as the base will start to soften.
• Take the tart out of the fridge for 10 minutes before serving, but unmould straight away. Sit the tart pan on top of a large tin or jar and let the ring part fall away, then transfer the dramatically revealed tart to a plate or board. Leave the pan base on.
• Slice modestly--this is rich and sweet, and people can always come back for more--and serve with creme fraiche; the sharpness is just right here. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, but the base will soften and the sides crumble a bit. That will not detract from your eating pleasure too much, but I still like to give it its first outing at optimal stage!

CASHEW-COCONUT TART IN CHOCOLATE CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Spray 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Blend flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and blend until moist sandy texture forms. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons ice water and blend until dough comes together. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Chill crust 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place crust on baking sheet. Bake crust until dry-looking and slightly puffed, about 18 minutes. Cool crust on rack completely. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Bring brown sugar, cream, maple syrup, and ginger to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking gently until sugar dissolves. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Adjust heat to maintain low boil; cook until thermometer registers 222°F, whisking occasionally, about 8 minutes. Mix in cashews and coconut. Cool 20 minutes.
• Place chopped chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Cook at medium setting in 15-second intervals until soft and beginning to melt. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Brush enough chocolate over inside of crust to coat completely. Freeze crust until chocolate is cold and hard, about 15 minutes (reserve remaining melted chocolate for garnish).
• Pour filling into crust. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is beginning to darken on top and is bubbling thickly, about 35 minutes. Transfer tart to rack. Cool completely. Remelt reserved chocolate in microwave. Drizzle chocolate over tart in lacy pattern. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)

SALTED DARK CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes., For caramel, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until sugar is melted and mixture is almost clear (do not boil). , Increase heat to medium high; bring to a boil, without stirring. Cover and boil for 2 minutes while tightly holding lid of pan down. Uncover; shake pan. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until mixture is amber, shaking pan several times., Remove from the heat; stir in cream (mixture will bubble) until smooth. Stir in butter (mixture will bubble) and salt until blended. Pour into crust; refrigerate for 15 minutes., Place chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Let stand for 20 minutes. , Pour chocolate mixture over caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before serving.

SALTED CASHEW-BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. DO NOT PRICK CRUST. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. (Check crust after 5 minutes; if crust puffs in center, flatten gently with back of wooden spoon.) Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium-high heat just to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate with whisk until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped cashews. Pour into cooled baked shell. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
• Spread dulce de leche over chocolate layer. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cashews and the salt evenly over top. Remove tart from side of pan. Store in refrigerator.

SALTED CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• Equipment: 23cm/10in deep-sided (approx. 5cm/2in deep), loose-bottomed flan tin.
• For the base:.
• Snap the biscuits into pieces and drop them into the bowl of a food processor. Do likewise with the chocolate, then blitz them together until you have crumbs. Add the butter and salt, and blitz again until the mixture starts to clump together. If you're doing this by hand, bash the biscuits in a freezer bag until they form crumbs, finely chop the chocolate and melt the butter, then mix everything, along with the salt, in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or your hands encased in disposable vinyl gloves.
• Press into your tart tin and pat down on the bottom and up the sides of the tin with your hands or the back of a spoon, so that the base and sides are evenly lined and smooth. Put into the fridge to chill and harden for at least 1 hour, or 2 hours if your fridge is stacked. I wouldn't keep it for longer than a day like this as the Oreo crust tends to get too crumbly.
• For the filling:.
• Finely chop the chocolate. Put the cornflour into a cup and whisk in the milk until smooth. (I find it easier to use cups for the liquids - in which case the milk measure is equivalent to an American quarter cup, and you'll need 2 cups of cream.).
• Pour the cream into a heavy-based saucepan into which all the ingredients can fit and be stirred without splashing out of the pan, then add the finely chopped rubble of chocolate, the sieved cocoa (or just sieve it straight in), espresso or instant coffee powder, sugar, vanilla paste or extract, olive oil and smoked salt. Place over a medium to low heat and whisk gently - I use a very small whisk for this, as I'm not aiming to get air in the mixture, I'm just trying to banish any lumpiness - as the cream heats and the chocolate starts melting.
• Off the heat, whisk in the cornflour and milk mixture until it, too, is smoothly incorporated, and put the pan back on a low heat. With a wooden spoon, keep stirring until the mixture thickens, which it will do around the 10-minute mark, but be prepared for it to take a few minutes more or less. Take the pan off the heat every so often, still stirring, so that everything melds together, without the cream coming to a boil. When ready, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, and if you run your finger through it (across the back of the spoon) the line should stay.
• Pour into a wide measuring jug or batter jug (it should come to about the 600ml/2 1/2 cup mark). Now run a piece of baking parchment or greaseproof paper under the cold tap, wring it out and place the damp, crumpled piece right on top of the chocolate mixture, then put the jug into the fridge for 15 minutes. The mixture will still be warm, but will be the right temperature to ooze into the base without melting it.
• Pour and scrape the mixture into the biscuit-lined flan tin and put back in the fridge overnight. Don't leave it longer than 24 hours, as the base will start to soften.
• Take out of the fridge for 10 minutes before serving, but unmould straight away. Sit the flan tin on top of a large tin or jar and let the ring part fall away, then transfer the dramatically revealed tart to a plate or board. Leave the tin base on.
• Slice modestly - this is rich and sweet, and people can always come back for more - and serve with crème fraîche; the sharpness is just right here. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, but the base will soften and the sides crumble a bit. That will not detract from your eating pleasure too much, but I still like to give it its first outing at optimal stage!
• MAKE AHEAD NOTES: Base can be made 1 day ahead. When firm, cover and keep refrigerated until needed. Tart/filling can be made 1 day ahead. Fill tart and refrigerate overnight, until set. Tent with foil, trying not to touch the surface of the tart.
• STORE NOTE: Store the tart in fridge until needed. Leftovers will keep in fridge for 4-5 days. The base will soften gradually as the tart stands.