I collect recipes with the best intentions of making them all even though I know most likely I will only make a small percentage of those recipes I collect. I will make a recipe I have never tried and bring it to someone’s house for better or worse. Luck has been on my side or I am a good judge of a recipe. For now I will say luck is on my side! I needed a dessert to bring to a friend’s house and remembered I had this recipe for a chocolate pine-nut tart.
I found this recipe in 2009 and finally had the chance to make the chocolate pine-nut tart. I love chocolate and pine-nuts. This was an easy recipe to make but the outcome was completely a surprise to me. When I was making it I thought how it looked before I baked it was how it would be when it was done. I thought the custard like filling would surround the chocolate but instead magically it formed layers. The custard with the pine-nuts rose to the top and the chocolate formed a layer above the crust.
This wonderfully rich dessert, very chocolaty dessert was a great way to finish a festive meal or any meal you might be making. You will wow your friends and family with this recipe, I know I did.
Let me know if you try it and how you like it.
Chocolate pine-nut tart
Serves 8
The recipe comes from French-born chef Antoine Bouterin, a master of culinary understatement.
PASTRY
| Butter (for the pan) | |
| 5 | tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1/3 | cup granulated sugar |
| 2 | egg yolks |
| 1 | tablespoon ice water |
| 1 1/4 | cups flour |
| Extra flour (for sprinkling) |
1. Have on hand a 9-inch French tart pan with removable base. Lightly butter the pan.
2. In a bowl with a wooden spoon, cream the butter and granulated sugar until soft and light. Add the yolks, one at a time.
3. Add the ice water and stir again. Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together to form a moist dough.
4. In the tart pan, flatten the dough with your fingers. Keep pressing the dough until it lines the bottom and sides of the pan. It seems like there’s not enough pastry for the pan, but keep pressing, dipping your hand into flour, until the pastry makes a thin layer on the bottom and sides of the pan.
5. Prick the bottom well all over. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Line the tart pastry with foil, pressing it into the dough. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes. Lift off the foil and return the tart to the oven. Continue baking the pastry for 10 minutes or until it is lightly browned all over. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.
FILLING
| 2 | bars (3 ounces each) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate |
| 1 | egg |
| 1/2 | cup heavy cream |
| 2 | tablespoons granulated sugar |
| 3/4 | cup pine nuts |
| Confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling) |
1. Using the lines already marked on the chocolate, cut or break the bar into squares or rectangles. If the pieces are not even or if the edges shatter, it doesn’t matter.
2. In a bowl, beat the egg, cream, and granulated sugar. Pour the mixture into the pastry. It will barely cover the bottom. Tip the shell, if necessary, to fill in the edges.
3. Arrange the chocolate pieces in the cream, setting them close but not quite touching. Sprinkle with pine nuts. With the tip of a knife, push any pine nut stacks so they form only one layer in the cream.
4. Bake the tart for 22 to 25 minutes or until the custard is set and starting to brown. Leave the tart to cool.
5. Set the tart pan on a small bowl so the rim falls off. Sprinkle the top of the tart lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into wedges.
From Boston.com
