DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART WITH SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST

Tata's Dark Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Shortbread Cookie Crust

A decadent, easy to make, guaranteed crowd pleaser.  This dessert is naturally very low sugar (with no added sugar in the chocolate filling) and can easily be made gluten-free.  

Ingredients for the Crust:

3 TBS ground hazelnuts (almonds would work also)

1 1/4 cup flour or (gluten-free baking mix--make sure your GF baking is a direct 1 to 1 substitute for regular flour) **Also I have a recipe on this blog if you want to make your own GF baking mix.  

6 TBS Sugar (you can get away with less if needed (i.e. diabetes) try 3 TBS Sugar instead of 6 or use Stevia instead of the sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 TBS really cold butter

Directions for Shortbread Cookie Crust:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  In a food processor add the ground hazelnuts (or grind your own), flour, sugar and salt. Pulse a few times to mix.  

Chop your cold butter into tiny pieces.  Add chopped butter to your mixture and pulse a few more times until butter is the size of small peas or smaller.  

Immediately press your crust mixture into your tart pan (a tart pan has a removable bottom--you must use a tart pan!)  I use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to press the crust into a flat equally distributed crust.  

Make sure your crust reaches all the way up against the sides of the tart pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool crust completely (at least an hour).

Ingredients for Ganache Filling:

18 oz (1  1/2 cups) dark or semi-sweet chocolate (at least 50% or a mix of dark and semi-sweet chips)  

1 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp pure vanilla

Directions for Ganache Filling:

Place your chocolate in a large glass bowl

Heat cream in a small sauce pan until it reaches a low boil (stirring often so the cream does not scorch). 

Pour hot cream over your chocolate.  Let it sit for a minute.  

Then using a metal whisk--whisk the mixture until silky smooth.  Add the vanilla and whisk until incorporated.  

Place your cooled crust on a cookie sheet so it is sitting flat.  Pour mixture evenly over your cooled tart crust.  Use a spatula to smooth and even out the chocolate mixture (make sure your chocolate goes all the way to the edges of the pan). 

If you want to decorate your tart you will need to do it at this stage while it is still soft.  If you don't want to decorate it simply place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours (leaving it on the cookie sheet).  After that point you can serve it or cover it with plastic wrap.  This tart will keep well for up to 5 days in an airtight container.  When you go to serve the tart remove it from the fridge 20 minutes before you want to serve it.  Then holding the bottom of the pan push the tart upwards.  Then once your tart is removed from the pan (the edges of the pan) you can leave it on its metal base and cut directly on that.  

**Some decorating ideas: 

*ground hazelnuts along the pan edges

*grated chocolate curls

*dry roasted hazelnuts along the edges

*Or chill your tart and then drizzle white chocolate over it -then chill again.

Enjoy! 

Love, TATA