Venus Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart Recipes

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 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-MACADAMIA NUT TART

Steps:

• Pate Sucree:In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and sugar. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 20 seconds. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks; add ice water. With machine running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Dough may be frozen up to 1 month. To thaw, transfer disks to refrigerator overnight, or let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Tart:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of pate sucree to a 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick (reserve remaining disk for another use). Fit into an 11-inch round tart pan with removable bottom; trim dough flush with rim. Use trimmings to patch any thin spots in shell. Refrigerate 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and bourbon until combined. Whisk in flour and salt, then whisk in butter. Stir in chocolate until combined. Pour mixture into chilled tart shell. Cover top with nuts, pressing them halfway down into the filling.
• Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust and filling are golden, about 35 minutes more. If tart is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Tart can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

MACADAMIA COCONUT TART

Steps:

• Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit into tart pan and trim edges. Chill shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until deep golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Leave oven on.
• Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined, then whisk in melted butter, nuts, and coconut. Pour filling into tart shell and bake until set in center, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then remove side of pan and cool tart to room temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more.

WARM CHOCOLATE & MACADAMIA NUT TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and line 4 tartlet cases (about 10 x 3cm). Trim the excess off by rolling a rolling pin over the top of the cases to make a neat edge. Firm up in the freezer for 30 mins. Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans, then cook on a baking sheet for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, then cook for 3-5 mins more until the pastry is pale golden and biscuity.
• While the pastry is cooking, melt the chocolate, cream and alcohol, if using, in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolk and sugar until light and frothy. Briefly whisk the melted chocolate into the eggs and fold through most of the chopped macadamia nuts.
• Divide the chocolate mixture between the cases and scatter with the remaining nuts. Uncooked tarts can now be frozen. Bake for 12 mins or 20 mins from frozen. The tops of the tarts will soufflé up and they should still be soft in the middle. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.