Silken Chocolate Walnut Tart

By Carla

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup chilled unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream (more as needed)
• FILLING:
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 14 ounces chopped chocolate, semisweet or bitter sweet, or any combination
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons dark rum or whiskey (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

CRUST: Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl on low speed for about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into ½ inch pieces. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine on low speed about 1 to 11/2 minutes, until the dough looks crumbly, with bits of dough about the size of dried peas.

Whisk the egg with the cream and add to the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough is just combined. Continue mixing for 10 seconds longer. If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness on a generously floured flat surface. Fold over rolling pin and gently transfer the dough to at 10-inch tart pan. Press it lightly into place and crimp the outside edges with your fingers or fork.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

FILLING:
Line a 10-inch tart pan with the tart dough. Press it into place and crimp the outside edges with your fingers or a fork.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Set aside to cool.

Put the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on medium-high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir. If the chocolate is not completely melted, keep heating for 30-second increments. Stir until blended. (Or combine the butter and chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan filled with 3 inches of simmering water. Stir until melted and combined. Remove the pan from the simmer water.) Whisk the sugar into the butter-chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla, salt, cream and rum.

Spread the nuts in the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the chocolate mixture over the nuts without stirring.

Bake for 50 minutes. The pie will seem undercooked and jiggly in the middle, but remove it from the oven anyway. The pie will set as it cools.

Do not cut the pie until it has cooled at room temperature for at least 2 hours; or refrigerate it so it will set up more quickly.