Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Begin by making your tart shell and blind baking it for about 25-30 min at 425* . Then cream the butter and sugars together at low speed until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time. Next add the flour and toasted chopped nuts. Fill cooled tart shell and bake for 15-20 at 375* until filling no longer ripples when moved.

After tart is cooled to room temp make your ganache topping and pour it onto the top of the filling without overflowing the sides. Let it cool in your refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. To serve cut and slice and top with Fleur de Sel and drizzle pomegranate coulis and seeds onto the side.

Tart Shell

31/2 Cups of all purpose flour shifted
1 tbs. sugar
1 Tbs.lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
3 sticks of butter
4 eggs
1 Tbs cold water

Place all ingredients into a food processor and processes until mixture looks like fine cornmeal. Whisk eggs and water together and with machine running pour into mixture just until the dough comes together. Remove dough from the machine and kneed until smooth. This dough may be divided to make 2 10″ tart shells. Wrap in plastic and let rest one hour in refrigerator.

Hazelnut filling

1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbs Light brown Sugar
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbs. Muscavado Sugar ( dark brown sugar may be used)
1/2 Stick of butter
2 Tbs of flour sifted
2 cups of lightly toasted hazelnuts coarsely chopped

Chocolate Glacage

6 oz Heavy Cream
6 oz Good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 Stick butter, softened and divided

Heat the cream just to a boil in a small pan and pour over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth, add the butter and continue to whisk till smooth. Use immediately.

Pomegranate coulis

2 Cups of pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup of sugar
2 1/2 Tbs of water
3 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp Brandy

Puree fruit in a blender and pass through a sieve or chinois. Warm the puree in a sauce pan. Separately make a syrup of the sugar and water and boil to 240*. Mix into the fruit puree. Return to a boil, strain, mix in lemon and brandy. Cool.

Fleur De Sel