This Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart has a French pastry shell filled with macadamia nuts, caramel studded with chunks of ginger all topped with a chocolate ganache. Filling adapted from Sunset Magazine.
Place the macadamia nuts in a food processor fitted with steel blade and pulse until pulverized. Next add the flour, sugar and salt in the food processor. Pulse to mix.
Melt butter and allow to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, beaten egg and egg yolk. While the processor is running, add the butter mixture to the flour mixture.
Stop as soon as the dough is blended. Remove from processor and form the dough into the tart shell and up sides. (See Note 1) Chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Put the macadamia nuts in the bottom of the chilled tart shell. Set aside.
Caramel Ginger Filling:
In a bowl blend the eggs, sugar, candied ginger, fresh ginger and vanilla. Pour filling evenly over the macadamia nuts in tart shell(s).
Bake for 40 minutes until the filling jiggles ever so slightly. Cool and cover with Chocolate Ganache.
Chocolate Ganache: (See Note 2)
Place chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour warmed cream over and cover for 5 minutes. Stir to combine and is smooth. Pour and spread over cooled macadamia nut tart. Top with sea salt flakes. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm ganache and tart.
Slice and serve with raspberries (optional).
Video
Notes
I have used both six individual 4 1/2" tart shell pans or a single 11" tart shell pan.
The chocolate ganache that glazes your cakes and pastries is the same chocolate ganache that you roll into truffles, with one very important exception: the proportion of cream to chocolate. Glazes and icings will require a thinner consistency which translates to a higher percentage of cream. A thicker glaze for frosting or for rolling into truffles needs to be stiffer, so the chocolate percentage is higher. Here's a handy guide:
Chocolate Ganache Proportions These proportions are based on weight. For example, a 1:1 ratio means 4 ounces chocolate to 4 ounces cream. - Layer cake filling and thick glaze: 1:1, equal parts chocolate and cream. - Chocolate truffles: 2:1, two parts chocolate to one part cream. - Soft icing and pourable glaze: 1:2, one part chocolate to two parts cream.Chocolate Ganache Proportions Source: The Kitchn