Chocolate-Hazelnut TartFor the past few days, every where I am going, I am seeing and hearing the ‘V’ word. Now I like Valentine’s day just fine. We even celebrate it in our own little way, every year. And, I am not one of those who thinks you don’t need a specific day to show love nor do I feel that every day can be a Valentine’s day. (Though, nothing wrong with either of the above thinking.) But seriously, in my opinion, every day can NOT be a Valentine’s day. Between bills to pay and kids to raise, race to lose weight and preparing early morning lunch-boxes, vacuuming the floors and cleaning color-painted walls, doing laundry and folding clothes, flossing multiple sets of teeth and putting little bundles of energy to bed, who has time to celebrate each day like a ‘V’ day! So I enjoy this one day where husbands are reminded to be nice and helpful, kids to be thankful and appreciative and wives to be loving and uplifting.

But like they say, too much of anything is bad. All this hoopla makes me weary of doing much on such a loving, romantic day. It’s like an over kill, really. I don’t really like the over-commercialization and hype surrounding it, to the extent that if husbands don’t bring flowers for their wives, they are proclaimed unromantic for life! Or if wives say they are not cooking anything special on that day, out loud in a public place, at least two pair of eyes will immediately start judging them. Now, yay for you, if that never happened to you but for the rest of us, we can literally see the wheels churning in their head and them coming to different (yet same) conclusions “Oh, she is one of those ‘Every day is V day’ woman.” Or a non believer or what ever!!

Chocolate-Hazelnut TartMy husband and I were engaged 10 years ago on the 15th of this month and so we inevitably end up celebrating Valentine’s day too. To celebrate a decade of his ‘Zzzzzzzzz’ and my ‘Grrrrrrrrrrr’, I made a Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart which had a hazelnut and brown butter crust at the bottom and chocolate filling with chocolate glaze on the top. To say that it was absolutely delicious would be an understatement. I was inspired by this recipe by Dulce Delight here. I stumbled upon her blog and loved everything there. I loved the flavor of brown butter with hazelnut. It is truly the star of this dish. On the flip side, this tart is so rich that you won’t be able to finish a slice. Make it for a gathering and it will disappear before you can say “Ha” (ppy Valentines day!). Meanwhile, let me say “Looking forward to another wonderful decade with you, Honey. Cheers!”

Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart

Yield: one 11 inch tart

Ingredients

    For the Crust
  • 1 1/2 cup Graham cracker crumbs or 9 pcs Graham crackers
  • 1 cup or 135 gms Hazelnuts, ground
  • 3/8 cup or 37 gms Cocoa powder
  • 6 tbsp. Sugar
  • 7 1/2 tbsp. melted Ghee/ Clarified butter
    • For Filling
  • 1 3/4 plus 1/8 cup Heavy cream
  • 8 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate - 55% cacao
  • 5.5 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate - 70% cacao
  • 3 large Eggs
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. instant coffee
  • 1 tbsp. dark Rum (optional)
  • pinch of Salt
    • For Glaze
  • 3 tbsp. Heavy cream
  • 3 oz. Bittersweet chocolate - 70% cacao
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Honey
  • 1 tbsp. warm water

Instructions

    For the crust
  1. In a pan, roast hazelnut until fragrant. Grind them with sugar and graham crackers. (if not using crumb)
  2. Mix cocoa powder to the above mixture.
  3. In a pan, heat the clarified butter until light brown in color.
  4. Add butter to the mixture and mix well.
  5. Preheat the oven at 350F.
  6. In a 11 inch removable bottom tart pan, spread the mixture evenly and press the mixture with fingers at the bottom and on the sides of the pan.
  7. Bake for 12 minutes in the oven and then let it cool down at room temperature.
    8. For the Filling
  8. Add coffee to the cream and heat the cream until it starts steaming but not boiling.
  9. Add the cream to the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds.
  10. Mix well. Add vanilla extract, salt, rum and eggs to the cream. Mix well.
  11. Pour the cream mixture on the crust and bake for 25 minutes at 350F.
  12. Let it cool down. Do not de-mould.
    13. For Glaze
  13. Heat cream and add to chocolate as done with filling. Mix well.
  14. Add honey and water and mix well.
  15. 30 minutes before serving, pour the glaze in the center of the tart and gently swirl the pan so that it spreads evenly all over. De-mould and serve.

Notes

I have used ghee instead of butter because when you try to brown butter it froths too much making it difficult to see the browning process closely.

If you are using a 9 inch tart pan reduce all the ingredients by 2/3 ratio.

I've had this tart chilled as well as warm and have to say, warm tastes way better. So heat the slice in microwave for 15-20 seconds and enjoy.

https://www.morethancurry.com/chocolate-hazelnut-tart/

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