To me, the perfect holiday dessert is one that requires some extra time and care than your everyday bake, where you can pour your love into each component and share your creation with friends and family. This hazelnut chocolate tart is a love letter in dessert form–it is elegant, has a stunning combination of flavors and textures, and is the perfect way to remind people in your life that they are loved and deserve to be treated to something special.
This hazelnut tart also has a unique origin story and is near and dear to my heart. My cat Howard was always in the kitchen with me (and I mean always) and was quite the little gourmand–he loved sitting in a chair in the kitchen and watching me buzz around the room while smelling all of the aromas. He was particularly enchanted by foods that were creamy and buttery, and whenever I was baking with dairy, he would watch ever so closely and sneak a little whiff of the final product when presented with an opportunity. He passed away very suddenly a little over a week ago and the last happy moment we had shared together in the kitchen was while I was preparing the hazelnut praline for this tart. In the days following my dear little Howard’s passing, I poured my love for him into each component of this dessert, assembling it step by step, and finishing what we started together. I can’t think of a better way to honor the memory of my little sous chef and companion than with this ever so creamy and fragrant showstopper.
This beautifully silky hazelnut chocolate tart is luxurious and creamy, with a crisp buttery tart shell, a thin layer of praline paste, a rich chocolate ganache, and a hazelnut creme diplomat on top. The hazelnut shines through as the star, and is complimented but not overtaken by the chocolate, and together, they make a heavenly pair. I hope you too can give this dessert a try and share it with those who are near and dear to you.
A few notes to help you succeed when making this tart. Don’t get overwhelmed by the different components but focus your attention on just one component at a time–each one is really quite manageable on its own and you’ll be surprised to see how quickly it can all come together. The praline paste can be bought online or you can prepare it well in advance, up to several weeks. You can also make the tart shell one to two days in advance of serving. Put on your favorite music, get into your zone, and make little Howard proud!
Howard’s Hazelnut Chocolate Tart
Course: Pies and tartsDifficulty: Weekend baking project4
servings30
minutes40
minutesThis beautifully silky hazelnut chocolate tart is luxurious and creamy, with a crisp buttery tart shell, a thin layer of praline paste, a rich chocolate ganache, and a hazelnut creme diplomat on top. Make this dessert as a love letter to those in your life who deserve to be treated to a little something special. The gelatin in the dessert in optional and will give it a firmer set and a cleaner cut–the cream may not hold up as firmly otherwise but it still works perfectly well and is stunningly delicious.
Ingredients
- For the tart crust
1 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp orange zest
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp ice cold water
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp hazelnut praline paste (see note)
- For the ganache
4 oz high quality semisweet chocolate (70%)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder
pinch of salt
- For the creme diplomat
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin powder (optional)
1/2 cup (113g) hazelnut praline paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup hazelnuts, skinned, toasted, and finely chopped
Instructions
- Make the tart shell
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest. In a separate small bowl, use a fork to beat together the egg yolk, cold water, and vanilla. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and use your hands to toss and coat the butter pieces in flour. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter pieces into the flour until the butter pieces are no larger than the size of a pea.
- Pour the cold egg yolk mixture into the dough and stir together with a fork to mix. Finish mixing the dough together with your hands, pressing the dough together with your hands until it fully comes together into a ball. Push down into a disk and roll out on a well-floured work surface, using your tart pan as a guide to determine the size you need. You can rotate the dough as you go to prevent it from sticking. If the dough feels too sticky, try refrigerating for 15 minutes before rolling it out. Once rolled, gently fold in half and transfer to the tart pan. Unfold and press into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any overhanging dough with a knife.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F. Make pricks all across the dough with a fork, line the bottom with foil or parchment paper and place some baking weights on top (dried beans or rice work just fine). Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the center is lightly golden. Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 5-7 minutes until the full tart crust is golden.
- After removing from the oven, use a knife to spread 2 Tbsp of praline paste in a very thin layer on the bottom of the tart crust. Let cool completely and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
- Make the ganache
- Finely chop the chocolate and add to a bowl. Set aside.
- To a small saucepan, add the heavy cream, coffee or espresso powder, and salt and heat over medium low heat until the cream is steaming and slightly bubbling on the top but not boiling. Pour the cream mixture onto the chocolate. Let set for 2-3 minutes and then stir with a spatula or spoon until smooth and silky, ensuring all chocolate pieces have melted. Let cool for about five minutes and then pour into the tart shell. Shake the tart shell gently to even out the layer of ganache. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours until set.
- Make the creme diplomat
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks. Whisk vigorously for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is very pale in color. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, vanilla, and salt over medium low heat until slightly simmering. While constantly whisking the egg mixture to prevent curdling, slowly stream in a small portion of the hot milk. Keep whisking until about half of the milk mixture has been incorporated into the eggs.
- Then, gradually stream the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, continuing to whisk until the mixtures have been fully combined. Place the pan back on medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until the pastry cream is thick and the whisk leaves clear marks. If you pause the whisking for a brief moment, you should also see a couple of large bubbles as the mixture boils. Once you the pastry cream is thick and has come to a boil while whisking, remove it from the heat.
- If you see a few lumps in the pastry cream, run the full mixture through a fine sieve placed over a bowl. Otherwise, just transfer the pastry cream directly into a bowl to stop the cooking and stir in the 1/2 cup of praline paste, whisking until the paste melts into the pastry cream and is fully smooth.
- If you want a firmer set on the tart, place the gelatin powder in a little bit of cold water, according to the package directions, as each brand is a bit different. Once the powder is dissolved, whisk it into the pastry cream. Place the pastry cream in the fridge for about 40 minutes, until it has cooled only to room temperature. If making in advance, be sure to set it out to come up to room temperature before proceeding to the next step. If not, your pastry cream may split when adding in the whipped cream.
- Once your pastry cream is at room temperature, whip the cold heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Give the pastry cream a good stir with a rubber spatula to loosen it up, and then gently fold in the whipped cream in about 3 batches until you have achieved a light and airy pastry cream that is smooth and has no visible lumps of whipped cream. Using your spatula, pour all of the mixture into the tart shell on top of the ganache, and gently smooth.
- Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes, just to achieve an initial set. Then, using the back of a large spoon, create little swirls on the surface of the pastry cream. Sprinkle toasted hazelnut pieces around the edges for a nice crunch. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours or overnight, until fully set. The tart can be served right out of the refrigerator.
Notes
- You can purchase praline paste online, or to make it yourself, you’ll need about 80g (a heaping half cup) of blanched hazelnuts and 40g (about 1/4 cup) of slivered or sliced almonds. If your hazelnuts are not blanched or skinned already, fill a saucepan only half-way with water and add 1 Tbsp of baking soda. Add in the hazelnuts and boil for 3-4 minutes (the water will turn a very dark color which is normal). Drain the hazelnuts, and the skins should come right off when rubbed between your fingers or a dish towel. Toast the hazelnuts and almonds in an oven at 350F–the hazelnuts take 8-10 minutes to turn golden brown and the almonds may take 5-7 minutes. Grease a baking sheet generously with oil. Then in a small saucepan, add 2 Tbsp of water and 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar. Cook over medium high heat, swirling the pan frequently until the sugar has dissolved and turns into a deep amber color. Pour onto the baking sheet in a thin layer. Once the caramel has hardened and cooled (10-15 minutes), break it into small shards and add it along with the toasted nuts to a food processor or high power blender. Process for about 5-10 minutes total, scraping down the sides occasionally and pausing as needed to allow the blender to cool down, until you have a very smooth paste. It will look sandy at first but gradually turn into a paste–if your blender is having trouble you can add up to 2 tsp of a neutral oil like vegetable oil, adding 1 tsp at a time and blending. Praline paste can be stored covered at room temperature for up to one month.
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