Shelly's Recipe

Pecan Chocolate Tart with Surprise Center

Category: Tarts

For the tart dough:
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Center:
3 ounces dairy white chocolate
3 ounces praline paste
2/3 cup crushed corn flakes

Chocolate filling:
7 ounces good quality, semisweet chocolate
5 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar

Prepare the crust: Lightly grease an 11 inch tart pan. Place pecans in the bowl of food processor with blade attachment. Pulse until finely ground. Set aside.

Combine flour and cocoa and set aside. Cream butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add eggs, beating for 30 seconds after each egg. Add the cocoa and flour mixture. Mix until blended. Stir in the ground pecans until combined. The dough will be very wet and soft. Gather the dough into a ball and lightly sprinkle the with flour. Wrap dough with plastic and chill for 8 hours.

Prepare the surprise center: Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from heat and add the praline paste, mix to combine. Stir in the crushed cornflakes. Spread mixture onto a silpat or a sheet of parchment, forming a 9 inch circle.Chill until firm.

Prepare the filling: Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Remove from heat. Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Stir the egg mixture into the melted chocolate mixture. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 350. Using your hands, spread dough into tart pan. Return to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Bake for 20 minutes. Dough will puff when baked. Press the puffed dough back down with a spoon. Cool completely before filling.
Peel the praline disk off the silpat or parchment and place in the center of the tart shell. Fill the tart with chocolate filling, spreading smoothly.

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from tart pan. Cut into wedges and serve warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Tart can also be served cool. Serves 8