Chocolate-Pecan Tart
Serves 12-16
This tart is not too sweet and perfect beneath a dollop of whipped cream. Amazingly enough, it’s dairy free-if you hold that cream! Read the original post here.
Ingredients
1 pie crust (I used this one, with Spectrum vegetable shortening substituted for the butter)
1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons neutral oil, like safflower
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups toasted pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out the crust and place it in a nonstick 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Double up the thickness of the sides. Prick the crust several time with a fork. Freeze for 10 minutes. Cover loosely with tin foil to prevent browning, then bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove to a rack and leave the oven on.
While the crust is baking, make the filling: melt the chocolate with the corn syrup and the oil in a double boiler (put the ingredients in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water). When the chocolate has melted, stir in the brown sugar.
Remove the bowl from the double boiler and add the salt, espresso powder, vanilla, and eggs. Stir to combine.
As soon as the crust is out of the oven, prick it to deflate it if it’s risen, then scatter the pecans evenly across it. Evenly scrape the chocolate mixture over the pecans and smooth it across the top.
Return the tart to the oven. Bake until the filling is puffed and looks dry, about 10 minutes. It will still jiggle slightly in the center if you shake it gently. Cool on a rack. Serve in small slices, warm or at room temperature.
