Chocolate, pecans and dates – what a luscious combination. A spectacular end to any meal.
Function: Circo Therm®, Circo Therm® Intensive
Chocolate Pecan Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mixed spice
125g butter, chopped
1 egg
2 tbsps castor sugar
Filling
1 1/2 cups pecan nuts
400g can condensed milk
100g milk chocolate, broken into blocks
100g dark chocolate, broken into blocks
50g butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup chopped dates
Icing sugar or cocoa, for dusting, if desired
Cream, for serving
Method
Preheat oven on CircoTherm® Intensive to 180°C.
In a food processor combine the flour, salt, mixed spice and butter then pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk together the egg and sugar then add to the dry ingredients, pulsing until the mixture starts to come together. Form the pastry into a ball then flatten to a 15cm disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes.
Roll the pastry out between 2 sheets of baking paper to line a 26cm tart tin with removable base. Trim the edges then chill for another 45 minutes. Line the tart shell with baking paper then load with rice or beans. Bake for 12 minutes then remove the loading and bake empty for a further 6-8 minutes until lightly golden. Cool.
Change the oven function to CircoTherm®. Place the pecans onto a tray and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly roasted. Cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan combine the condensed milk, chocolate, butter, vanilla and mixed spice, stir over a medium heat Induction setting 5 until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly then whisk in the eggs until well combined. Stir through the pecans and dates. Pour the chocolate pecan mixture into the prepared pastry case, ensure the nuts and fruit are evenly dispersed.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar or cocoa and serve with a drizzle of cream.
Notes
Roasting the pecans before adding to the filling helps to intensify their delicious flavour.
Authors Bio
As an experienced home economist and Food Designer Trish has worked over the span of her career in the food and home appliance industry as a demonstrator, teacher, recipe developer and food stylist. For more than 20 years she worked for and later managed the test kitchen for a large FMCG company working on some of Australia’s most trusted and iconic food brands, developing recipes and usages for their products as well as styling mouth watering images for cookbooks and websites. She has also appeared regularly as a brand ambassador on a number of well loved television cooking shows.