Hello, fellow foodies! It has been a while since I last shared a recipe with you all. Well, I am back. I will not bore you with reasons why I was away but let me inspire you instead with something sweet as a return treat. Chocolate tart with a bit of twist … more like with a dash of chipotle powder. I am a big fan of chilli and dark chocolate combo. There is just something about it that satisfies my palate. That gastronomic experience I get with that bitter taste of dark chocolate followed by that spicy kick from the chilli is just intoxicating!
I will not take full credit for this recipe as it was inspired by an Epicurious chocolate tart recipe. Instead of cayenne pepper ( original recipe), I used chipotle powder instead. For those not so familiar with chipotle powder, it is actually red jalapeno peppers, which has been smoked so it is a lot more spicy and intense in flavour – rich and smokey.
By the way, allow me to brag because I made the chocolate crust from scratch. First time and happy with the result! I made four individual serves instead of one big tart as specified in the original recipe. You all have to try making this tart. Chocolate, chipotle and cinnamon. Seriously, these three flavours combined is just epic. And oh, don’t forget the whipped cream on top.
Ingredients:
Pecans
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
Crust
- 1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 75g unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 1 cup thickened cream
- 110g dark chocolate, chopped (I used 70% cocoa)
- 1 (80g) disk Mexican chocolate (I used Herbie’s Mexican Chocolate ), chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream, to serve with
- For pecans:
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray A baking sheet with nonstick spray. Whisk all ingredients except pecans in medium bowl. Stir in pecans. Spread in single layer on sheet, rounded side up. Bake until just browned and dry, about 30 minutes. Cool on sheet. Separate nuts, removing excess coating.
- For crust:
- Preheat oven to 180°F. Blend the first 4 ingredients in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are moistened. Press crumbs into 4 x 4-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom, to within 1/8 inch of top. Bake until set, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack.
- For filling:
- Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolates; whisk until melted. Add butter, 1 piece at a time; whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pour filling into crust. Chill until filling begins to set, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Arrange nuts in concentric circles atop tart. Chill until set, about 4 hours.
- Serve tart with whipped cream.