Chocolate, Chocolate, Expresso Pecan Tart

By Andy Anderson !
@ThePretentiousWichitaChef

I made this recipe for our annual Christmas open house last night, and I wish that I had made two, because it didn’t last long.

It’s a three-stage process, but the crust, and pecans can be made two to three days before and kept refrigerated. The final assembly can be accomplished twenty-four hours ahead of time, and then served the big day.

Oh, and since this is such a rich cake, cut the slices small. You can probably get 12 slices out of one tart.

So, let’s get cooking…

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 0 votes

Comments:

30 Comments

Serves:

10-12

Prep:

20 Min

Cook:

40 Min

Method:

Bake

Ingredients

1 medium: egg, white
1/2 Tbsp: sugar, granulated variety
1 Tbsp: dark brown sugar
1 tsp: ground cinnamon, i like saigon cinnamon
1/4 tsp: salt, table variety
1 1/2 c: pecan halves
1 c: chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (see my recipe on making this from scratch: Ground Chocolate Cookie Wafer Base )
1/4 c: sugar, granulated variety
1 tsp: ground cinnamon, i like saigon cinnamon
1/8 tsp: salt, table variety
5 Tbsp: sweet butter, unsalted, melted
1 c: heavy cream
4 oz: bittersweet chocolate
3 oz: semisweet chocolate
1 tsp: espresso powder
4 Tbsp: sweet butter, unsalted, and cut into four pieces
2 tsp: pure vanilla extract
1 tsp: ground cinnamon, i like saigon cinnamon
1/4 tsp: salt, table variety

How to Make Chocolate, Chocolate, Expresso Pecan Tart

Step-by-Step

1THE PECANS
2Place a rank in the middle position, and preheat oven to 340°F ().
3In a bowl large enough to hold the pecans, combine all of the ingredients, except the pecans, and whisk until fully incorporated.
4Add the pecans and toss until completely coated, and then spread out in a single layer on the parchment lined baking sheet.
5Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
6After cooling, separate the pecans, remove any extra or additional coating, and reserve.
7THE CRUST
8Add the dry ingredients to bowl, and mix with a fork until fully incorporated.
9Add the melted butter, and mix with a fork until all of the crumbs are moistened.
10Using a tart pan, approximately 9 inches in diameter, press the crumb-butter mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
11Chefs note: the type of pan here is rather important it needs to be a tart pan that has a removable bottom.
12Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat oven to 350°F ().
13Place the tart pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the crust is set.
14Allow the crust to thoroughly cool on a wire rack.
15THE FILLING
16Add the cream to a saucepan and warm up to a light simmer.
17Reduce heat to the lowest possible setting, and then add the chocolate and stir until fully melted.
18At one piece of butter and stir until melted, and then do the same for the other three pieces of butter; one piece at a time.
19Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and then stir until fully combined.
20Add the mixture to the cooled crust, and place in the refrigerator and allow to cool for 30 minutes. This will partially set the filling.
21Remove from the fridge, and arrange the pecans on top in a nice decorative pattern.
22Chefs tip: I added a bit of decoration by using some white chocolate in a pastry bag and doing a squiggly pattern over the top.
23Return the tart to the refrigerator and allow to completely set for a minimum of four hours. Enjoy…
24Keep the faith, and keep cooking.