Chocolate Ganache Tart with Hazelnuts

Eric and I had a really lovely low-key Valentine’s Day. He brought me lilies and chocolate, and I secretly made him this incredible tart. He has a very big proposal due this week, which has been keeping him busy for months, so he is very easy to surprise! I pulled this out of the fridge after dinner, and he was all smiles. I kind of love this picture too, since this is just how you’ll want to eat it, right off the tart pan.

One of the best things about this tart is its crust, which is spiked with cinnamon and a hint of ginger. Such a perfect pairing for chocolate.

Is there anything more beautiful than melted chocolate? I don’t think so. This reminds me of the first time Eric and I made ganache, back when we were dating, to use in truly decadent hot chocolate. We mostly just ate the ganache with a spoon, but that was treat enough itself.

This recipe comes from Joy the Baker, but the hazelnuts were my idea, since I don’t like eating things that aren’t crunchy. I happened to have some on hand from an Ottolenghi dish I made last week, so it was the perfect storm.

This tart will last you forever, since it’s rich enough that you want to cut it in tiny slices. I think I’ll be putting about half of it in the freezer. Here’s to a Valentine’s Day that lasts through April! Hope yours was fantastic too.

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Hazelnuts
Adapted from Joy the Baker

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
1 large egg yolk, beaten

For the ganache:
8 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp, cut in half

For the topping:
1/2 c hazelnuts

-Heat oven to 275F and roast hazelnuts, skin on, for 15 minutes. The skins will dry out in the oven, and you can peel them right off. Once cooled, chop finely.
-In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and spices. Cut in butter with fingers until well incorporated. Some butter chunks will be the size of small pebbles, others will resemble oatmeal flakes. Once incorporated, add the egg yolk and bring mixture together with a fork. (Honestly, this just did not work for me without a food processor. If you have one, use it!)
-Dump mixture into a 9 inch tart pan (or 9 inch spring form pan) and press the crust into the sides and bottom with your fingers. Place in freezer for about an hour.
-Place chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl. In a small saucepan over medium low heat bring cream to a very low simmer. Pour half of cream on top of chocolate and let stand for about a minute, then whisk together. Add in the rest of the milk and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Let rest at room temperature.
-Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Butter a piece of foil and place butter side down on top of chilled tart. Bake for 20 minutes, then take foil off and bake for another 15, or until golden brown.
-Allow tart to cool completely before filling with ganache. Top with chopped hazelnuts. Enjoy!