Chocolate Gear Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Make the ganache: Place the cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and use a whisk to mix. The hot cream will melt the chocolate. Continue to whisk until the ganache is smooth. Set aside and allow them to cool.
• Place the butter, salt, sugar, egg and almond flour in a medium-size mixing bowl. The almond flour will add flavor to the dough. Use an electric mixer set on medium speed to beat the mixture just until combined.
• Add the cake flour and cocoa powder and mix just until the dough is smooth and holds together, about 30 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl and pat into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.
• When you are ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator and give it 4 or 5 quick raps with a rolling pin. This softens the cold butter. Roll the dough to the desired size on a lightly floured work surface.
• Use a 2-inch plain cutter to cut the tart shells from the dough. Use a 11/2-inch fluted cutter to cut the "gears" for the top of each tart. Place each tart shell in a flexible mini-pan and use a fork to dock the dough. Place the gear pieces on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake each pan of dough for 10 minutes.
• Assemble the tarts: Place the ganache in a piping bag (no tip). The ganache should be slightly softer than the consistency of toothpaste. Pipe ganache into each tart. Set a gear shaped piece on end and tarts are ready to serve.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix flour, hazelnuts, brown sugar and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight., Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Trim crust even with edge. Prick bottom of crust with a fork. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until blended. Beat in egg yolks and amaretto. Beat in hazelnuts and cocoa., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold a third of the egg whites into hazelnut mixture, then fold in remaining whites. Spread onto bottom of crust. Arrange pears over top., Bake on a lower oven rack 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Brush pears with warm honey. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan with butter; set aside.
• In a food processor, combine almonds and sugar; process until very finely ground. Add butter, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and almond extract, if using; process until combined. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
• Peel, halve, and core pears; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rubbing them with lemon as you work (to prevent discoloration). Arrange slices on chocolate mixture, slightly overlapping, without pressing in.
• Place pan on a baking sheet; bake until top is puffed and a toothpick inserted in center of chocolate mixture comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
• Briefly heat jelly in the microwave or on the stove until liquefied. Gently brush pears with jelly; let set, at least 20 minutes. Remove tart from pan, and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make dough: In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground. Add sugar, flour, and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter, pulsing until coarse crumbs form with no large butter lumps (dough should clump together when pinched with fingers).
• Immediately transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a measuring cup, evenly press dough into the bottom and up the sides of pan.
• Bake in center of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Make ganache: Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream, through a sieve, over chocolate. Stir until smooth and creamy in texture. Mix in vanilla.
• Pour chocolate mixture into center of cooled tart shell (if chocolate is lumpy, pass through a sieve). Let stand until set, about 2 hours, or refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until crumbly. Slowly add water to food processor until mixture comes together. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll out dough into a 10-inch disc.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch tart pan.
• Carefully place dough into the prepared tart pan. Trim dough from the edges of the pan. Prick holes into the dough on the bottom and along the sides of the pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Pour heavy whipping cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form along outside of the bowl. Add chocolate chips and let sit for 15 to 20 seconds. Whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate ganache into cooled crust. Let cool at room temperature until set, about 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated.