Dark Chocolate Pecan Tart

 This simple, elegant dessert is every chocolate lovers dream. The easy to make pastry uses pecans, giving this chocolate tart something deliciously different.

Another season has come and gone and time has already rolled around to the next installment of  the Freaky Friday recipe blog swap. I'm delighted to be part of this wonderful group of food bloggers again, but feeling a bit useless that I've had no blog posts since the last edition! Full time mommy-hood to a crazy wee 7 month old is hard work, especially now that's he's crawling and getting into all sorts of mischief! 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand; what's Freaky Friday?? A group of bloggers get randomly assigned to cook/bake a recipe off another blog, write a blog post showing your chosen recipe and posting on the specified day. It's a lot of fun and a great way to try something a little different and learn about how others (and for me, others on the far side of the world!) like to cook.

I had the honor of being assigned to an absolutely beautiful blog, Hostess at Heart. This blog is filled with the most gorgeous recipes and photos you'll find, making your mouth water looking at everything. This obviously made my job of picking just one recipe super hard but I got there in the end! Hostess at Heart is run (mostly) by Julie, with her hubby John on the grill. They call Nebraska home, and use beautiful in season ingredients in their recipes. They love to entertain, and I'd certainly love to be a guest at their table.

As usual, I had a hard time picking just one recipe to try and share for you all here. I was thinking that perhaps I wouldn't do a sweet this time and my eyes were very much caught by these beautiful Zesty Garlic Summer Sausage Egg Rolls, but being all the way in New Zealand I have no access to the main deliciously garlic sausage main ingredient, darn. Back to my search. Next I thought I'd bake something that my wee man could share too as he's just started solids a month or so ago and we've gone down the baby-led weaning route so I found two perfect recipes; Better For You Banana Bread and  Quick Peach Streusel Bread. But then I saw Peanut Butter Coffee Cake and  Dark Chocolate Pecan Tart, sorry bub but mumma HAD to make the tart!

There is only one word needed to describe this tart, gorgeous. It's incredibly easy to make, even while running after Mr. Crawler, and can be made over a couple of days. I made the base one evening and the filling the next morning. The crust is beautiful and light and has a really delightful pecan flavor. The filling is absolutely fool-proof easy to make and is to die for! As Julie states on her original post, this is a great recipe to make for guests. I agree but we ate the whole lot ourselves!

It won't escape the eagle-eyed among you to spot a hasty "decoration" job on this one. By decoration I mean disguise. Turns out I had a wee bit of a whole in my pastry that I didn't spot and patch before baking, so after I'd ever so carefully poured in my filling and gently placed by tart in the fridge to set the liquid deliciousness oozed out the side.... oops. I tried to put some back in after I'd noticed my mistake but of course it didn't settle back into the tart, leading to something still delicious if a bit ugly. Ha!

Dark Chocolate Pecan Tart

Serves 8

Tart Shell

1/3 Cup coarsely ground pecans
3/4 Cup plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp white sugar
85 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-2 Tbsp cold water

Chocolate Ganache

230 g Dark chocolate, in pieces
1 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 Cup cream

To make the tart shell:

1. In a food processor, combine the coarsely ground pecans, flour, salt, and sugar and briefly pulse until it's all combined.

2. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing until the mixture forms a ball.

3. Remove the dough and form into a disc. Cover with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350 °F) just before removing the dough from the fridge.

5. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour, break the dough into four approximately equal pieces. Press two pieces together with the heel of your hand until just workable. Repeat with the third and forth pieces. This will make the dough easier to work with and help to prevent cracking. 

6. Roll the dough into a 1/4" thick circle and place into a 9" tart pan with a removable base. Press the dough into the pan and chill for 10 minutes. 

7.  Pierce the shell several times with a fork and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until cooked and golden all over. Allow to cool completely in the pan before turning out gently and making the ganache. 

To make the ganache filling:

1. Place the chopped chocolate into a medium-sized bowl.

2. In a separate, microwave safe bowl, heat the cream until it just starts to boil. Pour this over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Add the butter and stir until well combined.

3. Pour into the cooled tart shell and refrigerate until chilled, at least an hour. 

Here's a full list of everyone who participated and their recipes, be sure to check them out!

An Affair from the Heart - Rustic Harvest Stew
Take Two Tapas - Pepperoni Pizza Packets
LeMoine Family Kitchen - Mixed Berry Muffins
Hostess at Heart - Spicy Sriracha Snack Mix
Aunt Bee’s Recipes - Easy Black Bean Soup
Bowl Me Over - Spicy Thai Noodle Soup with Shrimp
Seduction in the Kitchen - Marinated Olives with Red Wine Vinaigrette
The Foodie Affair - Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole with Cauliflower Crumbles 
Full Belly Sisters - Easy Coconut Macaroons
Who Needs A Cape? - Loaded Slow Cooker Pierogies 
Lisa’s dinnertime Dish - Italian Stuffed Pepper Cauliflower Rice Skillet
A Dish of Daily Life - Banana Crumb Cake with Pecans
The Devilish Dish - Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
Mildly Meandering - Apple Cake Sundae 
Life Currents - Pineapple Serrano Hummus
Plattertalk - Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Pic Nic - Dark Chocolate Pecan Tart
Honey & Birch - Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Appetizer