Ferrero rocher sweets were the type of chocolates that only ever appeared on special occasions. Advertisers would have us believe that they were served at Ambassador’s receptions and reserved for the finest of company. They are such a classic chocolate and have never changed their image or brand, and still seem as popular as ever. Even though I didn’t use ferrero rocher chocolates in this tart, the soft gooey chocolate together with the nutty hazelnut taste and crunch remind me of a ferrero rocher sweet. For this tart, the hazelnuts are roasted and caramelized, bringing out their natural sweetness and enhancing their crunchy texture. I experimented with dark chocolate and milk for this recipe, and milk chocolate tasted much better, and less rich for this particular tart. One tiny slice of this dessert will satisfy your strongest chocolate craving. It’s magical with a cup of strong dark coffee and keeps well for a few days in an air tight tin. Do watch your teeth though, as hard caramelized hazelnuts could lead to an expensive trip to the dentist!
Ingredients
Pastry
- 200g all-purpose flour/ gluten free all purpose flour
- 100g of butter, chopped into cubes
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons cold milk / water
Chocolate Filling
- 200g of good quality milk chocolate
- 100g of butter
- 1 tablespoon of Cointreau / Brandy
- 1 egg
- 3 egg yolks
- 40g of sugar
Caramelized Hazelnuts
- 160g of blanched hazelnuts
- 100g of castor sugar
Topping
- 1 tablespoon Cocoa, sieved
Method
Grease a 23cm fluted tart tin with butter. It helps if you use a tin with a removable base, as it will be easier to remove when serving. Begin by making the pastry. For this recipe, I made a gluten free pastry using Dove’s Farm Gluten-free flour. If you prefer, you can make a normal wheat pastry. The same quantities and recipe will work. Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the milk/water a little at a time. You need just enough to bring the pastry into a soft dough. I don’t give exact amounts of liquid, as I find each brand of flour is different. Generally, I use about 2 tablespoons. Bring the pastry together with a fork, then take the pastry dough into your hands and wrap it in cling wrap. Place it in the fridge and leave it rest for at least thirty minutes.
Place the hazelnuts in a large pan and toast over a medium heat, until they are just starting to color. Add the castor sugar to the hazelnuts and melt the sugar until it turns into a golden caramel syrup. Pour the caramelized hazelnuts onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and leave to cool and harden. Preheat the oven to 18o C.
Once the pastry has chilled, roll it out and place it into the prepared tin. I have a nifty tip for fitting pastry into quiche tins, which I learned from Mary Berry. Lay a piece of parchment paper on the work surface. Remove the base from the tart tin and lay it on the paper. Using a pencil, draw a circle onto the paper 4cm bigger than the tin base and cut out the circle. Dust the base of the tin with flour. Place the pastry ball in the centre of the tin base and flatten it out slightly. Roll out the pastry, still on the base, until it meets the edge of circle. As you are rolling out, turn the pastry by turning the paper. Gently fold the pastry surrounding the tin base in towards the centre. Carefully lift the tin base off the work surface, drop it into the tin, then ease the pastry into the corners and up the sides of the tin, pressing the overhang lightly over the rim. If the pastry has cracked at all, simply press it together to seal. Press the pastry into the flutes of the tin then lightly prick the base with a fork, but not quite all the way through.
Place a sheet of greaseproof pastry over the pastry and put some baking beads on top. Cook the pastry blind for 10 minutes. Then, remove the greaseproof paper and beads and cook again for a further 10 minutes. Remove the pastry from the oven. It should be golden and just set. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 C.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a saucepan of boiling water. Once the chocolate has melted, add the butter and alcohol and allow to melt slowly into the chocolate. Take the melted chocolate off the heat and leave to cool.
Next, place the cooled hazelnuts in a plastic bag and beat the bag with a rolling pin to break the nuts into small pieces. You could also blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor for a few seconds.
Beat the egg, egg yolks and sugar together with a whisk. Place the egg mixture in a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, over a low heat. Continue to whisk the eggs all the time, until the mixture looks pale, fluffy and is just starting to thicken. Lightly fold the egg mixture into the melted chocolate, using a figure of eight motion.
Place three quarters of the hazelnut pieces into the cooked pastry case. Reserve the rest for scattering on top once cooked. Pour the chocolate filling over the hazelnuts and place the tart in the preheated oven. (160 C) Cook the tart for 15 – 20 minutes – the chocolate should be just set on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
When you are ready to serve, place the tart on a serving plate, dust with some good quality cocoa and sprinkle on the remaining caramelized hazelnuts. This is a really rich and decadent tart and is perfect with a scoop of good vanilla ice-cream.
