Chocolate Pecan Tart
- 11-inch French Pastry Shell, frozen
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped (1/2 pound)
- 1 1/2 ounces imported bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
- Cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar
- Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Line the bottom and sides of the frozen pastry shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and weights and bake for about 3 minutes longer to dry out the bottom.
- Transfer the pan to a rack and let the shell cool to room temperature.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and honey together over high heat.
- Add the brown and granulated sugars and stir until dissolved, then boil for 1 minute without stirring.
- Add 1/3 cup of the heavy cream and stir constantly until smooth.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped pecans.
- Pour the mixture into the baked pastry shell.
- If necessary, spread the pecans to evenly distribute them over the bottom of the tart.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbles appear around the edges and the center is slightly firm.
- Transfer the tart to a rack to cool.
- In a small saucepan, bring the remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream to a boil over high heat.
- Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted.
- Spread the chocolate evenly over the cooled tart.
- Decorate the tart.
- Cut out an 11-inch circle from a piece of parchment or waxed paper.
- Fold it in eights, then open it and cut out every other wedge, leaving 4 wedges held together at the center.
- Place it on top of the tart.
- Using a fine sieve, dust the cocoa over the exposed tart.
- Carefully lift the paper and shake off excess cocoa.
- Set the paper over the cocoa-dusted sections and sift confectioners' sugar over the tart.
- Carefully remove the paper.
- Remove the rim of the pan and transfer the tart to a serving platter.
- Place a cluster of mint sprigs in the center of the tart.
pastry shell, butter, honey, brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, pecans, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, mint sprigs
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chocolate-pecan-tart (may not work)