This dessert is under the category of Desserts, but also Penny Tries It. This recipe comes from the Food Network and is to die for! Gluten-free or not, it is one of the best chocolate desserts I have ever tasted. I made it a little fancy by putting raspberries on top in the shape of a heart sprinkled with powdered sugar. But you could also top the tart with strawberries, blueberries, any berry, chocolate shavings, chocolate ganache, whipped cream, etc. I also served Chocolate Coffee flavored gelato on the side. Yum!! 💕
**For the official recipe, click here. I added some pictures below with some tips and ideas that worked for me. I wrote out the ingredients and basic instructions so to avoid having to switch back and forth from the original recipe. For any questions, refer back to the original recipe from The Food Network by Geoffrey Zakarian.
Ingredients:
1 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water 1 1/2 pints raspberries Powdered sugar, for garnish, as needed Vanilla bean ice cream, for serving
Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a fluted 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with non-stick cooking spray. You can buy the tart pan at most kitchen stores or click here. I purchased mine at William Sonoma.
2. In a food processor add hazelnuts, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt and 1/4 cup of sugar and pulse until finely ground. Set aside..
My tips and comments:
Start by roasting the hazelnuts. Put the hazelnuts in a pan with cooking spray or a little olive oil. Heat on the stovetop on medium heat until the nuts are slightly browned and fragrant... three to five minutes. You could also roast in the oven. Lightly coat the nuts with olive oil and spread on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for approximately 5 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to overcook the nuts, or they will burn.
In a food processor, pulse ingredients until finely ground. It will resemble coffee grounds.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt unsalted butter over medium heat, then cook swirling the pan occasionally, until nutty-smelling and deep golden in color, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the bittersweet chocolate chips. Let stand until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk the butter and chocolate until smooth, scraping up any browned butter solids from the bottom of the pan. Let cool slightly.
4. In a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of sugar and coffee mixture on medium speed, about 5 minutes. With mixer on low, add the chocolate-butter mixture, followed by the cocoa-hazelnut mixture. With a spatula scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is glossy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool until slightly warm.
5. Remove the outer ring from the tart pan. In the center of the tart, place the raspberries in a circle or in the shape of a heart. Garnish with sifted powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream.
My tips and comments:
For raspberry topper. Raspberries are very fragile and can easily fall apart. To clean, put them in a large bowl filled with cold water. Be sure they are submerged. Carefully drain in a colander. Put the raspberries on paper towels and let them dry for around an hour or so.
Put the raspberries on the tart in the shape of a heart. Sift powdered sugar over the cake and raspberries.
*I also added a few pink and red sprinkles on the raspberry heart.
A beautiful dessert for your family or any special occasion.
Serve with gelato, and Buon Appetito!
I served this special dessert with my Fabulous Broiled Lobsters. For the recipe, click here!
Lobster is my favorite food. This recipe is so easy ....done in less than 15 minutes! Also, the taste is awesome! And that's coming from a lifetime lobster lover!
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