Caramelised Hazelnuts Dark Chocolate Tart w/ Sea Salt Flakes Recipe

We constantly search recipes that will make good use of the ingredients in our pantry. It is no news that we love chocolate and that we cannot live without hazelnuts, so this one probably was written in the stars. It also include an ingredient that we currently do not have, but are looking to add, sea salt.  

Slightly adapted from the original recipe of the incredible Linda Lomelino and her Call Me Cupcake blog, the result is truly incredible. We often found ourselves reading her articles, watching her videos, and simply getting lost in her stunning photography. A treat to the eyes, heart and soul indeed.  

So are you ready to stun your family and friends? It takes a little while, but it's actually quite straightforward and fairly easy so don't be alarmed by the length of the recipe.  

Ingredients

For the crust

200g Flour
100g Butter - cubed
90g Brown Sugar
1 Egg 1 Yolk
Pinch of salt

For the caramelised hazelnuts

45g Muscovado Sugar
100g Salted Butter
30ml Honey (liquid)
30ml Double Cream
75g Altalanga Toasted Organic Hazelnuts

For the chocolate ganache 

200g Amedei Toscano Black 70% Dark Chocolate
240ml Double Cream

Method

To make the crust

Place flour, sugar and pinch of salt in a fountain like shape, inside the cubed butter. Work the butter quickly into the flour and sugar to avoid warming it up too much. When it resembles crumbles then add the eggs and keep working the dough till it looks even. Make a ball shape, wrap in cling film and chill for 2-3 hours, more if it's a hot day. 

When ready, dust a flat surface, divide the dough for the number of tart tins then roll to a 3mm thick. You can make about 8 with this recipe, of course you can have a big tart instead. Place the tarts in the freezer for half hour, this will avoid the shrinking of the tarts during the baking process. 

Heat the oven at 180°, prick the bottom with a fork and place baking paper and some weight in the inside of the tarts (you can use rice or chickpeas, this will avoid the bubbles and consequentially breakage of the tart). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling

Mix the sugar, butter, honey and cream in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir frequently till it comes to a boil. Let simmer for a minute, then stir in the 75g of toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped or whole (we left them whole, it adds crunchiness to the recipe). Divide the mixture between the tartlet shells.

Bake on the lower rack of the oven at 175°C for 18-20 minutes or until filling is golden brown and bubbling. Let cool completely.

To make the chocolate ganache

Chop the chocolate, the finer the better. Pour the cream into a saucepan, then place it over medium high heat until cream is very hot but not boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let sit for a minute, then carefully stir with a spoon until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache smooth. Make sure to stir slowly, otherwise you’ll get air bubbles in your ganache. Let cool to room temperature.

To finish

Pour the chocolate ganache into the tart shells and let set for 1-2 hours at room temperature. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

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Couple of notes. Make sure you check the salt quantity in your butter. This could alter the taste quite a bit, potentially making it too strong for some of your guests. Try it first, if it's too salty then maybe use unsalted butter or half and half. 

Also, when you make the ganache, it is very important that the cream is really really hot. The chocolate will not melt otherwise. If this happens, do not reheat the mixture in the microwave or in a pan, the heat will most likely divide the chocolate butter giving it a very unattractive and oily consistency. Remove part of the cream and heat some more. You can add some chocolate to balance the quantities out. Extra ganache is always good.