for the fourth edition of SHF: let's go nuts! i made the nutella tart from chocolate desserts by pierre herme. it has nutella spread on the bottom of a sweet tart shell and a ganache + egg/egg yolks on top, and a delightful sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts. i was sort of in a hurry when making this.....and eating it too. finished baking at around 10:40.. only let it cool off for around 20 min. before trying a little bit as i didn't want to wait any longer! even if it's meant to be eaten at room temperature. well, it is very tasty!! i love the nutella layer at the bottom, and the filling compliments it very well. the crunchy nuts on top complete it! it was pretty good warm, but will probably be better room temperature, so we'll see tomorrow i guess. anyway, very successful tart, and my first time using a tart ring! looks pretty good for first time, eh? but overall, very easy tart to make. try it out!
update: i tried it chilled this morning (for breakfast, of course), and it is AWESOME!! a lot better than warm, i must say. sooo good, can't wait to eat more. :)
update 2: put the recipe on here... btw, i only used about 1/2 cup of hazelnuts on the top and that was enough. love this more every time i eat it!!
Nutella Tart
from "Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme"
The Crust
-1 fully baked 8 3/4 inch (22 cm) tart shell made from Sweet Tart Dough (recipe below), cooled to room temperature.
Keep the cooled crust, with the tart ring still in place, on the parchment-lined baking sheet. (The crust can be made up to 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.)
The Filling
2/3 cup (200 grams) Nutella
4 3/4 ounces (140 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Noir Gastronomie, finely chopped
7 tbsp (3 1/2 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature stirred with a fork
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature, stirred with a fork
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup (140 grams) hazelnuts toasted, skinned, and cut into large pieces
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375ｺF (190ｺC).
2. Spread the Nutella evenly over the bottom of the crust and set it aside while you make the ganache.
3. Melt the chocolate and the butter in seperate bowls either over - not touching - simmering water or in a microwave oven. Allow them to cool until they feel only just warm to the touch. (104ｺF [40ｺC], as measured on an instant-read thermometer, is perfect).
4. Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the egg into the chocolate, stirring gently in ever-widening circles and taking care not to agigate the mixture -- you don't want to beat air into the ganache. Little by little, stir in the egg yolks, then the sugar. Finally, still working gently, stir in the warm melted butter. Pour the ganache over the Nutella in the tart shell. Scatter the toasted hazelnuts over the top.
5. Bake the tart for 11 minutes -- that should be just enough time to turn the top of the tart dull, like the top of a cake. The center of the tart will shimmy if jiggled -- that's just what it's supposed to tdo. Remove the tart from the oven and slide it onto a rack. Allow the tart to cool for at least 20 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature -- the best temperature at which to serve it.
Makes 6 - 8 servings. The crust can be made ahead, but the filling has to be baked the instant it is made. Although the tart is best served at room temperature, if you refrigerate any leftovers, you'll find happy takers the following day.
Sweet Tart Dough
You'll get the best texture if you make a large quantity of this dough; make only enough for one tart, and you'll run the risk of overworking the dough. Once made, the dough can be wrapped in individual tart-sized packages and frozen for up to a month.
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces; 285 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (lightly packed) (3 1/4 ounces; 100 grams) finely ground almond powder or finely ground blanched almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla bean pulp or pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3 2/3 cups (490 grams) all purpose flour
To make the dough in a mixer:
Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until creamy. Add the sugar, almond powder, salt, vanilla, and eggs and, still working on low speed, beat to blend the ingredients, scraping down the paddle and the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough may look curdled -- that's all right. With the machine on low, add the flour in three or four additions and mix only until the mixture comes together to form a soft, moist dough -- a matter of seconds. Don't overdo it.
To shape and chill:
Gather it into a ball and divide it into 3 or 4 pieces: 3 pieces for 10-inch (26 cm) tarts, 4 for 9-inch (24-cm) tarts. Gently press each piece into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or for up to 2 days, before rolling and baking. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to a month.)
To roll and bake:
1. Place a buttered tart ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet and keep close at hand. Roll the dough to a thickness of between 1/16 and 1/8 inch (2 and 4 cm), lifting the dough often and making certain that the work surface and the dough are amply floured at all times. Roll the dough up around your rolling pin and unroll it onto the tart ring. Fit the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the ring, then run your rolling pin across the top of the ring to cut off the excess. If the dough cracks or splits as you work, don't worry -- patch the cracks with scraps (moisten the edges with water to "glue" them in place) and just make certain not to stretch the dough that's in the pan. (What you stretch will shrink later.) Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork (unless the tart will be filled with a runny custard or other loose filling) and chill it for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. When you a ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ｺF (180ｺC). Fit a circle or parchment paper or foil into the crust and fill with dried beans or rice.
4. Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes, just until it is very lightly colored. If the crust needs to be fully baked, remove the parchment and beans and bake the crust for another 3-5 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool.
Makes enough dough for 3 10-inch or 4 9-inch tart shells. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for a month. Frozen disks of dough take about 45 minutes to an hour at average room temperature to reach a good rolling-out consistency. Baked crusts can be kept uncovered at room temperature for about 8 hours.
