Chocolate Almond Tart

Valentines is over. I hope you enjoyed all of the chocolate treats and delicious cakes that the special day brought your way. If you thought yesterday was full of tasty things, think again…today it just gets better! Birthdays give you a great excuse to make just one more thing, and that is exactly what I did.

My dear friend is celebrating her birthday today. Without me. So I decided to join in the celebration by making a delicious dessert for her. However, this is not just any dessert! This was one that several months ago, she copied for me out of a magazine. She knows how crazy I am about collecting recipes and trying different things. I kept looking at the copied page and every time I did I thought of her. How could I make this and not have her near to share it with her?

Then it came to me. A birthday surprise! This tart was made to honor my friend, her birthday and her next year of life. What a perfect way to celebrate!

Chocolate Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust

Crust
1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of ground almonds
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
25 grams of cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 tablespoon of ice water

Filling
1 1/2 teaspoons of unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons of water
3/4 cup low-fat milk
2 large egg yolks
2 1/2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon of flour
60 grams of bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of almond extract
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. To prepare crust, whisk together wheat flour, flour, almonds, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut butter into the mixture until pea sized crumbs form. Add oil and water, mixing until incorporated. Turn the dough out into a pie plate or tart pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly all the way up the sides then press down the bottom to form a crust. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake the crust until the edges begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. To prepare filling, sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand, stirring once or twice, while you prepare the rest of the filling.

4. Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge, but do not boil. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

5. Whisk egg yolks, 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl until combined. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot milk. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining hot milk. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (do not boil), about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat; add in the chocolate and let sit for one minute. Whisk gently until completely smooth.

6. Heat the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften. Whisk in the softened gelatin and almond extract until smooth.

7. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until blended. Add the rest of the egg whites and fold carefully until there are no white streaks.

8. Spoon the filling into the crust; smooth the top with the back of a spoon and chill, uncovered, until set, about 1 hour. Decorate and serve!

Note, the magazine portrays this as a creamy chocolate almost ganache looking tart. However, the final result is actually a jello like chocolate layer. It is light and delicious, but certainly not creamy and rich.