This elegant dessert pairs decadent chocolate with creamy almonds for a delicious and beautiful tart recipe! Don’t let the fancy pie crust fool you, this tart isn’t just for looking! It’s full of gooey, chocolatey goodness, with a crispy lattice topper. My chocolate almond tart is a must try Valentine’s Day dessert for 2021!
What Does This Date Night Dessert Taste Like?
I call it a date night dessert recipe because this is the type of dessert you make for someone you REALLY love! Anyone that takes the time to weave dough in and out to form a pattern is DEFINITELY in love, no doubt about it! This tart kind of tastes like a chocolate pecan pie, except with almonds. It is very sweet, and almost caramelized, similar to how pecan pie is. Soft, roasted cocoa flavor melts in your mouth with every bite, as the strong flakey pie crust delivers that buttery flakey texture we love. Red sanding sugar sprinkled over egg washed dough give this red dessert its signature ‘fancy pie crust‘ topper.
Black Bean Dessert Brownies
Okay…I know what you are thinking. Black beans have NO PLACE in the world of decadent and sinful desserts. But I promise you, these black bean dessert brownies taste so much like regular brownies that my friends and family couldn’t tell the difference. If anything, they are MORE chocolaty and MORE fudgy than regular boxed …
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How To Make This Chocolate Almond Tart:
It’s not as labor intensive as it looks guys. I actually find the weaving of the lattice pie top to be almost therapeutic. Just throw some reggae on and enjoy this intimate time by yourself. Just you and your pie.
- Make the dough: This pâte brisée recipe is just your typical basic pie crust recipe. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor, and add cold pieces of butter. Once it resembles coarse meal, start adding the ice water. Here is a little secret: I actually used a blender to do this step and it worked WONDERFULLY. So if you don’t have a food processor, do not fear! You can also do this with two table knives, but that will take much longer. Press it into a flat ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and make sure to refrigerate for AT LEAST 1 hour.
- About 30 minutes before you are ready to work the dough, make the filling. Toss the chocolate chips and butter into a 200 degree pre-heated oven and allow to melt, stirring occasionally. In a saucepan, bring the maple syrup and sugar (I told you it’s sweet!) to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the melted chocolate butter mixture and the syrup. Blend throughly, add the almonds, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, and set it aside to cool.
Need a pastry wheel? This Fantes Double-Blade Pastry Pasta Dough Cutter Crimper Wheel With A Beechwood Handle is a great affordable option!
How To Lattice A Pie:
4. Cut the dough circle in half. Roll one half out until it is about 13″ by 13″, and fits into your tart shell (cover with plastic wrap and place the tart shell in the fridge). Transfer any extra dough to the other half, and roll out on a floured baking surface until less about 13″ by 13″ and under 1/8 inch thick. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1/2 inch strips.
5. Whisk an egg in a bowl and egg wash one of the strips. Sprinkle with red sanding sugar and place on a piece of parchment paper. The next two strips above and below this strips should be plain strips of dough. Lay the dough, red-plain-red-plain and so on, with a 1/2 inch space between each, until you have a surface of about 13 inches. Do the same thing in the opposite direction, except weave the dough under/over the previously layed dough. Try to make sure there are no spaces in the pattern. See video above recipe for visual.
6. Transfer the parchment to a flat baking sheet and place it in the freezer for about 8 minutes. Fill the pie crust with the chocolate almond mixture. When the lattice is done cooling, position the parchment paper directly next to the tart. Carefully slide your hand under the lattice so it is positioned in the middle. Lift up and transfer the lattice to the top of the pie (this should be easy with the dough cooled). Trim the edges.
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the heat to 350 and bake for 25 minutes. Allow the tart to cool to room temp before cutting, and enjoy!
When To Serve Red Desserts:
Since red is the color of choice here, it is only appropriate that this chocolate almond tart be served as a Valentine’s Day dessert! Imagine the look on your love one’s face seeing this impressive pie sitting on the counter! You can also serve this beautiful dessert recipe as a tart for parties or as a holiday dessert. Trust me, no one will have seen or tasted anything like it! Feel free to play around with the sprinkle colors too. This awesome pie crust design would make an absolutely amazing Fourth of July dessert if you add some blue to it!
Frequently Asked Questions:
| What kind of sprinkles were used? | I used ‘Red Sanding Sugar‘ for the red sprinkles. It works wonderfully because it melts under the heat of the of the oven, but does not burn or bleed. Just note that you NEED to egg wash the dough before adding the sprinkles or they won’t stick. |
| Does it matter which color I start with when making the lattice? | Use the weaving of the lattice to connect with your inner creativity! No matter how you weave it, it is going to look wonderful. I did ‘every-other’ for the colors, but there are some seriously awesome pie crust designs out there, so get creative! |
| Do I HAVE to cool the dough? | Definitely. Using cold ingredients not only makes the dough easier to handle, it also makes sure the crust is light and flakey, and that it does not ‘poof’ up while baking at a high temperature. |
Chocolate Almond Tart
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
Pie Crust Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup red sanding sugar
- 1 egg, whisked for egg wash
Tart Filling
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (any kind except white)
- 1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup almonds, rough chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Add flour, salt and sugar to a food processor or blender. Slowly and add cold pieces of butter and blend until it resembles coarse meal. At this point, start slowly adding the ice water, about a tbsp at a time. If you don't have a blender, you can also do this with two table knives and your hands. Press the dough into a flat ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and make sure to refrigerate for AT LEAST 1 hour, up to overnight.
- About 30 minutes before you are ready to work the dough, make the filling. Place the chocolate chips and butter into a glass oven safe bowl, and place in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally until fully melted. Set aside once melted.
- In a saucepan, bring the maple syrup and sugar to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the melted chocolate butter mixture and the syrup. Blend throughly, add the almonds, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, and set it aside to cool.
- Transfer the cooled dough from the refridgerator to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough circle in half. Roll one half out until it is about 13" by 13", and fits into your tart shell Cover the tart shell with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until ready to use.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the second half of dough on a floured baking surface until it is less than 1/8" thick. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1/2 inch wide strips.
- Whisk an egg in a bowl and egg wash one of the strips. Sprinkle with red sanding sugar and place on a piece of parchment paper. The next two strips above and below this strips should be plain strips of dough. Every red strip should be egg washed so the sprinkles stick. Lay the dough, red-plain-red-plain and so on, with a 1/2 inch space between each, until you have a surface of about 13 inches. Do the same thing in the opposite direction, except weave the dough under/over the previously layed dough. When finished, adjust the strips to try to make sure there are no spaces in the pattern.
- Transfer the parchment and lattice to a flat baking sheet and place it in the freezer for about 8 minutes. Take the pie crust out of the fridge and fill with the chocolate almond mixture. When the lattice is done cooling, position the parchment paper directly next to the tart. Carefully slide your hand under the lattice, so your hand is positioned in the middle of it. Lift up and carefully transfer the lattice to the top of the pie (this should be easy with the dough cooled). Trim the edges.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the heat to 350 and bake for about 25 minutes. The edges should be begining to turn golden. Allow the tart to cool to room temp before cutting, and enjoy!
Notes
Did you like this Chocolate Almond Tart recipe? If so, go check out my Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti recipe! They’re GREAT for dunking in coffee!
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