This elegant chocolate hazelnut tart is built around contrast: a delicate buttery tart shell, a crisp praline layer, and a smooth chocolate ganache, with a chocolate mirror glaze. The hazelnut croustillant adds roasted nuttiness and delicate texture beneath the creamy filling, while the glaze creates a polished finish. This classic French layered pastry, each component has a distinct role. Thorough chilling helps preserve defined edges, clean layers, and the contrast between crisp shell, crunchy praline, and smooth chocolate from first bite to last.
Ingredients
3.5 Inch Chocolate Tart Shells: 6 Nos
Hazelnut Croustillant:
15g Milk Couverture Chocolate
5g Dark Couverture Chocolate
45g Feuilletine
45g Hazelnut Praline.
Chocolate Ganache:
140g Heavy Cream
100g Dark Chocolate
100g Milk Chocolate
25g Unsalted Butter
Hazelnut Praline:
150g Hazelnuts
100g Sugar
Chocolate Mirror Glaze:
15g Water
30g Sugar
30g Glucose
20g Condensed Milk
2g Gelatin
30g Dark Couverture Chocolate.
Directions
1. Make the praline. Roast hazelnuts at 160–165°C for about 10 minutes. Melt sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring/whisking as it melts. Once brown, add roasted hazelnuts. Cool completely on a parchment sheet, then blend until smooth and glossy.
3. Prepare the croustillant. Melt both chocolates gently. Stir in feuilletine and hazelnut praline until evenly coated. Spread 15 g into each cooled tart shell and press into an even layer.
4. Make the ganache. Heat heavy cream and pour over dark and milk chocolates. Allow to soften, then emulsify until smooth. Blend in butter until glossy. Pour evenly over the croustillant. Chill until ganache is completely set, approx. 3-4 hrs.
5. Make Chocolate Mirror Glaze. Bring water, sugar, and glucose to 103°C. Add condensed milk, bloomed gelatin, and chocolate. Blend until completely smooth.
6. Pour about 20g glaze and spread to evenly coat the tart. Let it chill overnight
7. Serve slightly tempered so the ganache becomes silky while the hazelnut croustillant remains crisp. T
Chocolate Tart Shell
80g butter; 75g powdered sugar; 12 g almond powder; 15g cocoa powder; 40g cornstarch; 40g egg; 140 g cake flour.
Prepare the tart shells. Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add almond and cocoa powder, cornstarch, egg, mixing until combined. Add cake flour and mix until a dough forms. Roll approximately 2mm thick, chill thoroughly, line tart rings, trim edges, and chill again. Bake at 160°C for 14–15 minutes. Cool completely.
*Anu Ojha is the owner of Rum n Plum Bakery, a small-batch artisan home bakery in South Windsor featuring handcrafted items like croissants, bombolinis, tarts, pastries, pies, and breads. Visit rumnplum.com.