I'm getting super psyched for pi(e) day! I'm not a fan of math, at all, but I am a huge fan of the other type of pie and I'm getting ready for 3.14.15 with pie's cousin, a tart. I was thumbing through my Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts book and stopped on this recipe. Chocolate, almonds, honey and fleur de sel. Such a perfect set of ingredients, especially when melted, toasted and topped on a flaky, crusty, gold puff pastry. I think the best part about this tart is that unlike a lot of pies, it takes a matter of minutes to prep and make, it's so easy and unfussy. Two qualities I look for in my desserts.
I love how this tart looks so rustic and has such a great variety of textures. Smooth, melted chocolate, toasty and crunchy almonds, sticky honey and lightly crisped flakes of puff pastry. I thought I'd prefer to eat this warm right out of the oven, but I was pleasantly surprised the next morning when I ate a piece. With the cooled, jelled chocolate it was just as good. But my very favorite method of eating this dessert is aside a nice scoop of chocolate ice cream.
Chocolate-Almond Tart with Fleur de Sel
1 box store-bought puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sanding sugar
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Honey, for drizzling
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
2 Tablespoons toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
Unfold dough on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Trim the edges, if needed, to form a 10-inch square and fold in each edge to form a 1-inch border. Pierce center of the shell all over with a fork. Brush edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 mins.
Prehet oven to 450 degrees F. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Using an offset spatula, press down on middle of shell (leave border puffy). Cover center evenly with chocolate. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with salt. Return to oven and bake just until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and cut into 4 squares. Serve with ice cream, if desired, and drizzle with more honey.
