Maple Walnut and Chocolate Tart
What can I say—this is a very delicious dessert. Serve with vanilla whipped cream, or better yet, vanilla ice cream. Hide a sliver for tomorrow’s breakfast, for even more happiness! Makes one (9-inch) tart or pie--10 to 12 servings.
Servings: 10 servings.
Calories: 241kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) tart shell, chilled (I used a variation of my oat pie pastry recipe)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup maple syrup (see note)
- 1 teaspoon dark molasses , optional (see note)
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal (see note)
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups (about 5 ½ ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 cup (about 5 ounces) chopped dark chocolate I used Trader Joe’s 72% cacao Belgium chocolate
Instructions
- On a clean flat surface, using flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking, roll the dough into a (11-inch) circle, about 1/8-inch thick. If you use my oat pie pastry recipe, you should have leftover dough. (see note)
- Fit the dough circle into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pinching extra dough in as needed to build up the sides so they are sturdy. Refrigerate until cold, or freeze 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Place the empty pastry shell on a baking sheet. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes. (see note)
- While the crust is blind baking, assemble the filling: Beat the eggs in a bowl using a hand whisk. Whisk in the maple syrup, the molasses if using, the cornmeal, butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.
- Spread the walnuts and chocolate in the bottom of the blind-baked shell. Pour the filling evenly over the nuts and chocolate. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until filling is just set in the middle. Let cool about ½ hour.
- Serve with vanilla whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.
Notes
- Grade B maple syrup is always my first choice. However, the best price for maple syrup seems to be at Costco—and they sell Grade A. The teaspoon of molasses deepens the flavor of the lighter Grade A.
- Because maple syrup runs thinner than corn syrup, I add a tablespoon of cornmeal to make sure the filling doesn't come out runny. (Cornmeal is a typical thickener in chess pie, an American Southern pie that usually calls for corn syrup.) You can substitute cornstarch for the cornmeal if you wish.
- Roll leftover dough scraps again and cut into uneven squares. Sprinkle with cinnamon and (coconut) sugar and bake until golden. That’s what my Mom did.
- To blind bake: Line the pastry in the pan, with parchment paper or aluminum foil that extends 2 to 3 inches above the pan. Fill the paper-lined pastry with pie weights or dried beans, making sure the paper and beans are tucked into the corners of the dough to make a sharp inside edge. After removing the blind-baked crust from the oven, let cool five minutes. Carefully remove the paper and pie weights.
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 117IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg