Chocolate Hazelnut Muhallabieh Middle Eastern Cream Tart Food

MAHALABIA - A MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT

Steps:

• Make a paste with the cornflour and about 3 Tbsp of the fresh milk.
• Combine this cornflour paste, both types of milk and the sugar in a heavy based saucepan or milk pan and stir to mix.
• Bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring stirring it occasionally. After about 5 minutes, you'll notice the milk mixture begin to thicken slowly.
• Lower the heat down slightly to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes until the mahalabia resembles thick custard. Now you need to be careful here as the milk can catch if your heat is not low enough, or if the pan doesn't have a thick enough base. You don't want burnt milk or bits in your mahalabia! Just in case, do not scrape the bottom of the pan as you are stirring.
• When the mahalabia is as thick as custard, take it off the heat and add the rose/orange water (whatever you're using) and crushed cardamom seeds and stir.
• Pour into your chosen serving dishes or cups.
• Place in the fridge to cool for at least 4 hours. It will thicken when cold.If you are going to chill it overnight, cover the cups/dishes with cling film or saucers to prevent the Mahalabia from absorbing any smells but also to stop the surface from becoming dry.
• To serve, drizzle the rose syrup over it (if using) and sprinkle with nuts.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Toast the hazelnuts in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 8 minutes. Let cool. Transfer 1/3 cup nuts to a food processor. Add the flour, sugar and salt; pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Drizzle in the egg and vanilla; pulse until the dough starts to come together.
• Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Coarsely chop the remaining hazelnuts and reserve.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, then trim the excess dough. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the crust with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until golden brown all over, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 cup cream in a bowl. Combine the remaining 1 3/4 cups cream, the chocolate-hazelnut spread, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring and scraping the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. Once the mixture starts to boil, stir constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour into the crust and swirl the top. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Top with the reserved hazelnuts.

CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT MUHALLABIEH - MIDDLE EASTERN CREAM TART

Steps:

• Combine biscuit crumbs and butter in a bowl; Rub the ingredients until well combined. Place the mixture over the base and sides of a 26cm lose bottom tart tin and set in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the Sweetened Condensed Milk, water, cornflour and cocoa powder in a large saucepan; bring to boil with constant stirring until mixture thickens then add rose water and stir.
• Pour the hot mixture over the prepared base and set it aside to cool in room temperature.
• Spread the whipped cream over the cooled filling and sprinkle with the cracked hazelnuts on top and place in the fridge till the serving time.
• Tip: For a better garnish; pipe the whipped cream using a piping bag with a star nozzle and garnish with strawberry and mint leaves.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour. Add the eggs, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 1 hour.
• Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TART

Steps:

• Make crust and toast nuts:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (so that turned-up edge is underneath for easier removal of tart) and close side of pan onto bottom.
• Stir together crumbs, butter, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then press onto bottom of springform pan. Bake crust in lower third of oven 7 minutes, then cool crust in springform pan on a rack.
• While crust bakes, toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan in upper third of oven, stirring once, until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool to room temperature.
• Make filling while crust cools:
• Bring cream to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan, then pour over chocolate in a heatproof bowl, whisking until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in chocolate-hazelnut spread until combined, then whisk in nuts and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt.
• Pour filling onto cooled crust and put in freezer until just set, about 25 minutes. (Tart should not be frozen.) Remove side of pan before serving tart.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse cookies in a food processor until ground. Add butter; pulse until blended. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. , Beat cream cheese, Nutella, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. In another bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Add to crust; refrigerate 30 minutes., In a small saucepan, bring cream, corn syrup, butter and salt to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; add chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth; cool to spreading consistency. Spread over pie; sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE, HAZELNUT & SALTED CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, whizz the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour, icing sugar and butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp cold water, and pulse until the dough comes together. Tip the dough out and flatten into a disc, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed, deep tart tin. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork, then line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20 mins, then carefully remove the baking beans and parchment and bake for a further 5-10 mins until light golden. Allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the salted caramel. Tip the sugar into a small pan, add 1-2 tbsp water and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and cook until the sugar turns to an ambercoloured caramel. Reduce the heat and add the butter, cream and golden syrup, and stir until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and add the salt. Allow to cool for a few mins, then spread onto the tart base. Scatter with chopped hazelnuts and set aside.
• For the chocolate filling, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and caster sugar for about 6 mins until thick and pale. Fold in the melted chocolate and cocoa, then pour into the tart case. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 20-25 mins or until set and the top has formed a crust. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving in slices.

CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT PRALINE TART

Steps:

• Make the pastry. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add flour and almonds. Bring everything together with the egg. If the pastry is very soft, chill for 20 mins. If not, roll out to fit a deepish 23cm fluted flan tin; if the pastry breaks, press scraps of pastry into the gaps, leaving a slight overhang. Chill for 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line the case with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 10 mins. Remove beans and cook for another 10 mins until golden.
• Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a dry pan until starting to brown. Scatter over 4 tbsp of sugar, cook until it caramelises, then tip nuts onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Leave to cool, then roughly chop. Over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter and alcohol together, then set aside to cool slightly. Over the same pan, beat the egg, yolks and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Take off the heat, then fold in the chocolate mix.
• When case is cooked, remove from oven and turn the heat down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Scatter most of the hazelnuts over the base, then tip in the chocolate mix, pressing it down slightly. Cook the tart for 15-20 mins until the chocolate has almost set. Leave to cool, then serve scattered with the remaining nuts. Can be made up to 1 day ahead.