Who Needs a Date When You Have a Chocolate-Chocolate Tart?

Belle Cushing

It’s Baking Wednesday, which means you still have two days to find a date before the Feast of Saint Valentine. This recipe from the Mast Brothers is your delicious saving grace. What better way to bribe someone into spending time with you on February 14 than a rich, creamy chocolate tart? Or, if your date blows you off, you still have this tart working double-duty just for you: chocolate in the crust, chocolate in the filling, and a scattered of candied maple almonds lovingly strewn on top. Of course, if you absolutely must spend the day with someone whom you love and cherish, this tart can also be baked with care and bestowed upon a very special one-and-only. It’s a win-win-win, really, and oh so much more satisfying than the nuggets bearing some resemblance to chocolate in a drugstore heart-shaped box.

SEE MORE: The 11 Most Surprising—and Tastiest—Aphrodisiacs 

CHOCOLATE-ON-CHOCOLATE TART WITH MAPLE ALMONDS
When making the candied almonds, stir them until the caramel transforms into a dry, crystallized coating.

Ingredients
Crust:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk

Maple Almonds:
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup maple sugar or (packed) brown sugar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling and assembly:
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

Preparation
Crust:
Pulse cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and 1¼ cups flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat egg yolk and 3 Tbsp. ice water in a small bowl; add to flour mixture and pulse until dough just comes together. Form into a ¾”-thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12” round. Transfer to tart pan; lift up edges and let dough slump down into pan, then gently press into edge of pan. Trim dough, leaving about a 1” overhang. Fold in overhang; press to adhere. Prick bottom with a fork. Chill in freezer 15 minutes.

SEE MORE: How to Win Valentine’s Day Whether You’re Single, Courting, or Taken

Line pie with parchment paper or heavy-duty foil, leaving a 1½” overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is dry around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake until crust is firm and looks dry all over, 5–10 minutes longer. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let crust cool. 

Maple Almonds:
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened, 6–8 minutes. Let cool. Bring almonds, maple sugar, maple syrup, salt, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and cook, stirring often, until mixture turns mahogany, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir vigorously until almonds are coated with crystallized sugar (they will look sandy). Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet; let cool, then coarsely chop.

Filling and assembly:
Combine chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream, honey, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, whisking to dissolve honey. Pour cream mixture over chocolate mixture; let stand 2 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour filling into crust and chill until set, at least 4 hours. Top tart with maple almonds just before serving. 

See more from Bon Appetit: 
10 Valentine’s Day Recipes for Creating “Lady and the Tramp” Moments
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