The Ultimate Triple Chocolate and Nut tart

Yields:  12 servings


The Ultimate Triple Chocolate and Nut tart is a WINNER!  This tart is a chocolate and nut lovers dream!  It is decadent, crunchy and ridiculously pleasing to the best of chocolate and sweet lovers!  My mother in law and I decided to embrace the thought of all these ingredients as a spin off of the same ole Pecan pie.  Not that I don't just love pecan pie, but, let's face it, pecan pie doesn't have CHOCOLATE in it three different ways!  My daughter and husband feel that dessert isn't dessert unless it has chocolate in it!  So, hence this creation for the holidays!!  With Thanksgiving coming up, surprise your loved ones with this treat!  I promise you will be the Hit of the Holidays!  Enjoy!

Crust:

11/2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 stick plus 1 T. chilled and salted butter cut into pieces
1/1/2 t. vanilla extract
3 T. whipping cream ( possibly more than 3, just add until dough is crumbly and moist).

Filling:

3/4 c. whole almonds chopped by a mallet ( don't put in blender,,,they will get "dusty")
3/4 c. chopped hazelnuts
3/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
3/4 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. packed golden brown sugar
1/2 stick melted salted butter
3 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. 70 % cacao chocolate chips
1/2 c. milk chocolate or, (I say if it is Christmas time use white chocolate!)

For crust:  Combine flour and sugar in mixer.  Add butter and cut into mixture a little bit at a time until resembles coarse meal.  Add 3 T. cream  and vanilla extract.  Add more cream 1 T. at a time until you get a moist clumps of dough.    Gather dough and press dough over bottom and sides of  11 inch tart pan. 

For filling:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put syrup,  brown sugar and melted butter in large bowl to blend.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.  Mix in all 3 chocolates and all 3 nuts.  Transfer the mixture to the crust. 

Bake tart until firmly set in the center and top is golden brown.  Approximately, 40 minutes.  Cool for 30 minutes before serving.  Best served warm or room temperature.  Add vanilla ice cream if you wish.  I made homemade whipped topping.  Instructions are below if you decide to do that as well....it was WONDERFUL!  Enjoy.

Whipped topping: 

1 pint whipping cream
2 T. vanilla extract
1/4 c. sugar

Mix all ingredients together until stiff peaks are formed.  Refrigerate if you are not serving right away.  Enjoy.