A decadent and rich chocolate dessert, this pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart is perfect for a dinner party or a weekend treat.
You’ll want to get your hands on some Rico pears for this one. It’s a new variety and is crisp, juicy and sweet. The Rico pear is a cross between a Corella and a Doyenné du Comice, so it has a fine texture and is so juicy! You’ll be able to recognise it by its deep green colour and cute reddish blush. You can eat them firm or allow it to soften, the flesh becomes buttery.
The Rico pear is perfect for this pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart. The recipe is a little bit fiddly, but the result is worth it! With a fudgy brownie filling and a crisp pastry base, this pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart will be a hit amongst friends and family.
Full credit to nutritionist Phoebe Conway for developing and sharing this recipe with us!
Prep time 35 minutes
Cooking time 55 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
- 1 1/4 cups hazelnut meal
- 1 1/3 cups whole spelt flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 125g cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-2 tbsp water
FOR THE FILLING
- 2-3 Rico pears
- 1 cup cashew or almond butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cups coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 50g dark chocolate, melted
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 3 tbsp cacao
- Pinch of salt
- Flaked almonds (optional)
Method
MAKE PASTRY
- Place hazelnut meal, flour, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse until combined.
- Add butter to the food processor and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.
- Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Pulse again until it comes together as a dough. Add extra water if required.
- Roll mixture into a ball, cover in cling film and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
- Preheat oven to 170C.
- Roll dough between two pieces of baking paper to around 0.5cm thick. Place into a tart pan (preferably one with a removable base) and press gently around the edges. Cut away excess pastry and patch areas that need it.
- Prick base with a for and bake pastry for 15-20 minutes or until edges start to turn golden. Set aside to cool.
MAKE FILLING
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.
- Combine cashew butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and almond milk in a large bowl. Whisk until fully combined. Pour in melted chocolate and fold through.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold until just combined.
- Pour batter into the pastry tart and arrange pear slices on top.
- Sprinkle with flaked almonds, if you desire.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cooking times can vary so check your tart to ensure it does over or under cook.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy with a dollop of ice cream.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
No nutritional information available for this recipe.
