Chocolate Tart Recipe with Hazelnut and Orange Pastry
A rich dark chocolate tart with a crisp shortcrust pastry made with roasted hazelnuts and orange zest. The orange cuts through the chocolate so it never tastes heavy, and the hazelnuts give the base a nutty crunch against the smooth, glossy ganache filling. It looks like a pastry chef made it, but it comes down to a few simple steps done well. An ideal dessert for a dinner party or any special meal.
Equipment
- Baking / Roasting tray
- Ring cutter / Pastry ring
- Food processor
- Mixing bowl / Bowl
- Blowtorch / Lighter
- Chef's knife
- Chopping board
- Knife (general)
- Microplane / Fine grater
- Digital scales
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Thermometer / Probe
- Saucepan
- Serving plate / Platter
- Dough scraper / Bench scraper
- Palette knife / Metal spatula
- Pastry brush
- Rolling Pin
- Spatula (silicone, general)
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
- 140 g Unsalted butter
- 90 g Icing / Powered sugar
- 65 g Roasted & skinned hazelnuts
- 180 g Plain / all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt 1/5 of a teaspoon
- 1/3 of the zest of 1 orange
- 1 egg
- 370 g Dark chocolate between 48% & 70% cacao content
- 400 ml Whipping cream 30% fat content
- 85 g Cubed cold unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place 65 grams of hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the skins have started to darken and blister.
- Remove hazelnuts from the oven and place in a clean cloth. Rub and roll them around for 1 minute to remove the skins.
- Allow hazelnuts to cool for 5 minutes, then chop them in half with a knife to create small pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together 140 grams of softened unsalted butter and 90 grams of icing or powdered sugar.
- Add 1/3 of the zest of one orange, a pinch of salt, the chopped hazelnuts, and 180 grams of plain or all-purpose flour. Mix together with your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
- Add 15-25 grams of beaten egg to the dough until it reaches a slightly tacky or sticky consistency.
- Rest the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour by placing it between two sheets of parchment paper and pressing it into an even circle.
- Preheat oven to 160C/320F.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5 millimetres or 1/5 of an inch, using a pastry ring or case to guide the shape and size.
- Brush the pastry all over with the other half of the beaten egg, loosened with a splash of milk or water, to stop the base going soggy. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch with a little give. Leave to cool while you make the filling.
- In a small saucepan, add 400 millilitres of whipping cream (30% fat content) and heat on low. Stir occasionally to prevent it from catching on the bottom of the saucepan. Do not allow it to boil.
- In a large heatproof mixing bowl, break up 370 grams of dark chocolate (48-70% cocoa) into smaller pieces.
- Once the cream is hot and producing wisps of steam, remove it from heat and pour it over the chocolate pieces. Gently stir until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Add 85 grams of cold butter (cubed) to the mixture and continue to stir until it is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- Carefully spoon the mixture around the edges of the cooled pastry to seal any gaps. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Once the mixture is set, pour it into the tart case and smooth the top with a silicon spatula.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
- The next day, add finishing touches such as grated chocolate, cocoa powder, chopped hazelnuts, or orange zest.
- Carefully slide the tart off of the baking tray and remove the ring from around the base.
- Use a blowtorch to gently heat the outside of the ring to melt the chocolate, or use a hot knife to free the ring from the tart.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 794kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 8gFat: 61gSaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 87mgPotassium: 404mgFiber: 5gSugar: 30g
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