Here is a recipe that I put together in a last minute rush before I head off for a weekend in Cannes. I was thinking of France when I came up with the idea for this tart. France is where I go to revel in Patisserie. I love pastry. Both the making and the eating of it. It isn’t the easiest of things to get just right. But, like all things, with a bit of practice, it seems to get easier.
I have chosen to fill my tart with a couple of ingredients that I associate with British cooking. Two ingredients that I never seem to use enough of. Pears and Hazelnuts. Both grow well in our climate but it is funny how we never seem to have pears in our fruit bowls any more. They seem to have been overtaken by the blueberry. In France the pears are always sold perfectly ripe. They are often added to salads or served with cheese.
I almost prefer the taste of pears when cooked. A subtly perfumed fruit that partners chocolate as well as most nuts. This is what brought to my mind a tart filled with a dark chocolate frangipane mixture made using roasted hazelnuts, melted dark Godiva chocolate and a pinch of cinnamon. I have used tinned pears in this recipe because they are surprisingly good. Both plump and soft. And, I ran out of time to poach pears from scratch. You could do this. I could do this. But not when I leave recipe making to the very last minute.
The one thing you have to do when making and eating this chocolate, pear and hazelnut tart is to enjoy it with not one, but two accompaniments. Salted chocolate caramel sauce and clotted cream. It must be both. It is what transforms a tasty tart into something so very scrumptious. Serve the dessert as I have done, with a little swirl of the sauce but do have a little jug of it to hand. You will need more.
I am entering this recipe into the Godiva Challenge.
I was provided with Godiva chocolate for the development of this recipe.
Chocolate Pear & Hazelnut Tart with Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- For the pastry:)
- 200 g Plain flour
- 100 g Unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp Icing sugar sifted
- 2 Medium egg yolks
- For the tart filling:)
- 1 tin Pears or 4 poached pears
- 125 g Unsalted butter
- 125 g Golden caster sugar
- 125 g Roasted ground hazelnuts
- 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Pain flour
- A pinch of sea salt
- 100 g Melted dark chocolate chips
- For the salted chocolate caramel sauce:)
- 60 g Unsalted butter
- 120 g Light brown muscovado sugar
- 120 g Double cream
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 50 g Dark chocolate chips
Instructions
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For the pastry:)
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Put the flour and butter into a mixing bowl and rub the mixture together using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs,
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Add in the icing sugar and the egg yolks and bring the pastry together until it forms a soft ball of dough,
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Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes,
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After 30 minutes roll out the pastry and line a buttered tart tin so that the pastry overlaps the edges, let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes,
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Remove the chilled pastry case from the fridge and line it with baking parchment and some dried beans or rice then bake blind at 160 degrees for 10 minutes,
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Remove the baking beans and parchment and cook the pastry for 5 more minutes.
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For the chocolate frangipane:)
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Roast the hazelnuts in the oven (200 degrees) for 5 minutes and then allow to cool,
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Whiz the hazelnuts to a fine powder in a food processor then add in all the other ingredients except for the chocolate,
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Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water, allow to cool before adding to the hazelnut frangipane. Stir well to combine.
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For the salted chocolate caramel sauce:)
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Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat then add in all of the other ingredients except for the chocolate,
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Bring the sauce gently to the boil then turn it down to a simmer and continue to cook the sauce for five minutes,
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Take the sauce off the heat and add in the chocolate, stir well to combine. The heat of the sauce will melt the chocolate,
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Set the sauce aside until you need it (keep the rest in a jar in the fridge)
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To assemble the tart:)
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Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees,
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Pour the chocolate frangipane into the pre-baked tart shell,
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Place the pear halves into the frangipane in a decorative manner,
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Bake the tart for 30 minutes until the frangipane has just set,
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Let the tart cool slightly before serving and use a very sharp knife to achieve a clean cut,
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Serve with plenty of the warm salted caramel chocolate sauce and a huge dollop of clotted cream.
Crikey Laura that looks insanely good! Juicy pear with chocolate frangipan – just sounds incredible. Have a fab time in Cannes – no doubt the food will be good 🙂
Food was great Katie, lots of meals in the sunshine with Rose wine!
Gosh that sounds amazing, love it! It also looks amazing, good enough to have been bought back from one of the patisseries! Hope you have a great time in Cannes!
Hi Jayne, I just love French patisserie. Cannes was lovely too x
How fabulous, super taste combinations. Have a relaxing weekend, Cannes always sounds so sophisticated and elegant, I’m deeply envious.
Thanks Jude, Cannes is lovely at this time of the year 🙂
Perfection. Match made in heaven!
Thanks Milli, pears are perfect with chocolate 🙂
OMG I think I have died and gone to Heaven. Sorry I didn’t mean to blaspheme, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Love it! Gorgeous! Bring it to me! Oh and I’m NOT sharing!
Thanks Jac, pleased you like it!
How in heaven’s name do you stay so petite? Jealousy over with, the tart looks stunning. I prefer pears raw (but they have to be perfect) but this tart looks truly gorgeous.I wish you could mail me a slice! Top ingredients = top tart!
Laura, seriously please share how you are slim. I need to know! Also, how is your tart so perfect looking…choc frangipani and juicy pears…yes please! X
very pretty, very classy and no doubt delicious. Glad you had a lovely time in Cannes ! lucky you xx
Thanks Nazima and Cannes was lovely too 🙂
Love a good chocolate and pear tart – good luck with the Godiva entry 🙂
Oh my. This could be my last dessert on earth! Beautiful. You’re so talented.
that looks amazing Laura. I love how you casually say it was a last minute rush job! Great stuff!
Yes but I do often chose my recipes according to how long they will take to make.After seeing the finalists at Godiva, I can see they went for skill over speed of recipe!
This looks so good!! Just shared, although I couldn’t get a picture of the tart to come up. Really want to try making it myself. Would be wonderful to have this Christmas! x