Milk Chocolate Tart with Almond Praline and Whipped Coffee Cream

 

 

It's been a while since I posted a chocolate recipe, which I realise is totally unlike me. I don't know what's gotten into me. I don't recognise myself. I'm scarrrred. But I'm here to remedy the situation with chocolate in a tart plus some other additions... Chocolate, plus caramel, plus nuts, plus coffee, plus cream. That's my kind of math.




Milk Chocolate Tart with Almond Praline and Whipped Coffee Cream
adapted from here:

For the Pastry:
90g plain flour
20g cocoa powder
40g icing sugar
70g unsalted butter, diced
1 egg yolk
1 - 2 tablespoons iced water

For the Filling:
300g milk chocolate, finely chopped
120ml thickened cream
60ml amaretto

For the Praline:
100g whole blanched almonds
125g caster sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt

For the Cream:
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 teaspoons boiling water, cooled
1 tablespoon Tia Maria
100ml thickened cream
25g caster sugar

Topping:
1 tablespoon whole coffee beans

Make the Pastry:
Put the flour, cocoa powder and icing sugar into a food processor and blitz to mix and get rid of any lumps. Add the butter and blitz until the mixture resembled fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and whiz it all up, adding enough iced water down the funnel to create a dough ball around the blade.

Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Slip a baking tray into the oven to heat up.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the pastry out to about 3mm thick and big enough to line the base and sides of a 35 cm x 13 cm loose-bottomed rectangular tart pan. Line the pan and trim the edges.

Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Place on the hot baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking paper and beans and continue to cook the pastry case in the pan, on the tray for a further 10 - 15 minutes, or until cooked through and dry to the touch. Allow the pastry to cool completely in the pan.

Make the Filling:
Put the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Put the cream and amaretto into a small saucepan and bring it to simmering point. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Set aside for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate filling into the cooled tart base and leave to cool and set at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make the Praline:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Spread the almonds onto a baking tray and toast in the oven for about 8 - 10 minutes. Put them into a bowl and let them cool slightly. Line the same baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.

Put the caster sugar and 25ml of water into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar starts to caramelise. Swirl the pan to achieve even cooking. Once the mixture is golden, add the almonds and salt and swirl to coat. Pour the hot mixture onto the prepared baking tray and leave to cool. Once completely cool, chop into small chunks. Set aside.

Make the Cream:
Put all the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until firm peaks form. Set aside.

Assembly:
Top the tart with chunks of praline, sprinkle with coffee beans and spoon dollops of whipped coffee cream here and there.