I have been eyeing this Chocolate Tart recipe for awhile now, and this weekend, after a really long and exhausting week I decided to make it. The last time I made a chocolate tart, it was lovely, but honestly way to rich to possibly even enjoy. After two bites you were done. Hey, maybe that’s the key? Nope, I want to be able to have a slice and enjoy every bite. So here we have this recipe.
I was immediately drawn in by the photos, but once I started reading the recipe, I was soon intrigued by the use of pine nuts in the crust. I mean I love pine nuts, but rarely buy them because of their price. Years ago I thought that was the only way to make pesto, ha!, now I use walnuts, a much lower price point of a nut. But because I had been admiring this recipe for so long, I wanted to make it just as it was, with pine nuts!
The recipe I am sharing, is just like the original, but with a few additional notes that I found helpful. It’s decadent, but not overly rich. It’s slightly nutting tasting with a crispy topping and creamy center. I hope you enjoy!
Chocolate Tart with Pine Nuts
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup ground pine nuts *
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Filling
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch sea salt or kosher salt
Making the Crust:
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, almond meal, ground pine nuts, and salt.
Using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. In the beginning I like to stop the mixer and scrape everything from the sides, and start back up. Once the butter and sugar is fluffy reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the dry mix, until just combined.
Lay out a piece of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet onto your counter. Dump the dough onto the parchment, and then cover with another piece of parchment of the same size. Roll out the dough to about 1/8” thickness, basically to all edges of your parchment paper. Transfer this to a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from the refrigerator, and allow to sit for a few minutes, that way it is easier to form into the pan. Butter a 10” tart pan with a removable bottom.
Take your tart pan and place it on top of the dough, now with a knife, trace a circle around the pan but with a 1 1/2” border. Cut the circle out of the dough. (Save the scraps to make a baby tart, chocolate galette, or a shortbread style cookie). Now lift your circle of dough and place over the pan and begin pressing the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. It is ok if your dough breaks. Just press it all back together, making the bottom and sides even. If you need to add more dough to the sides, just simply grab a few pieces of your extra and press it into the dough.
Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes until firm to touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
The Filling:
Simmer water in a small pot and place a large glass bowl over top, making sure the water and the bottom of the bowl do not touch. Add the chocolate to the bowl, and stir occasionally until melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool.
In the bowl of your standing mixer with a whisk attachment, mix together the eggs and sugar on high until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt and mix. Now remove your standing mixer bowl, and scrape in about a third of the egg mixture into the melted chocolate. Fold together quickly, and then add the remaining. Quickly fold together, but not vigorously mixing. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake for 20-23 minutes until slightly puffed. If you over cook the tart, it will still be delicious, but the filling will not be as creamy. So check at 20 minutes with a toothpick to see if the filling is set. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
For the ground pine nuts, I placed mine in a food processor and gave it a few spins until started breaking down, but before it turned into a butter.
While I was pressing the dough into the tart pan on my first time, the dough was too cold and broke into a few pieces, so that is ok if this happens to you too, simply put those broken pieces into the tart pan and with your fingers press the dough back together.
Making the filling, please have your eggs be at room temperature and allow your melted chocolate to cool slightly, otherwise when you go to mix the two together you will have some problems with consistency.
