Caramel-Nut Tart with Milk Chocolate and Cognac Cream

Name: Caramel-Nut Tart with Milk Chocolate and Cognac Cream
Ingredients: 1 recipe pâte sucrée (see page 196); 1 3/4 cups whole nuts (I like a combination of almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pine nuts, pecans, and hazelnuts); 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1 2/3 cup heavy cream; 2 teaspoons mild honey, such as orange blossom; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 6 ounces milk chocolate; 1 1/2 teaspoons cognac

January 24, 2012

This nut tart is my dream dessert: sticky caramel poured into a buttery crust and studded with salty nuts. It’s a chewy, gooey delight, and whenever it’s on the menu at Lucques I can’t stop myself from sneaking over to the pastry station and cutting paper-thin slices to snack on. It’s also an addictive finger food, so encourage your guests to pick it up and eat it with their hands instead of struggling with a knife and fork. To turn it into a decadent, highbrow candy bar, drizzle some milk chocolate over each slice and dollop with cognac cream.

Cooks' Note

The tricky part to this dessert is making the caramel filling. If it cooks too long, it will taste bitter; and if it doesn’t cook long enough, it won’t achieve that chewy consistency.

Recipe notes

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