Gluten-free German Chocolate Tart

Peter almost always requests German Chocolate Cake for his birthday. Since Nick and Gus often want same thing and Nathaniel’s flexible, I’ve baked 2-3 dozen over the (GF) years. Inspired by a recent copy of Cooks Illustrated magazine and the integrity of dessert crusts we’ve been making from nuts and dried fruit, I decided to use ingredients that define the icing of a conventional German Chocolate Cake as the basis of a crust for chocolate tart.

If you’ve been reading along (if you’ve made Uncle Howard’s Chocolate Ganache Tart) you know nut crusts are fast, easy, healthy, delicious, and satisfying. This one is different in that it’s baked for 20 minutes prior to filling to set the crust and enhance the flavor of the coconut.

Make this the day before or morning of your event as baking, cooling, chilling, glazing will all take 6-7 hours of inactive time, but it’ll be worth it!

German Chocolate Tart – 10″ tart serves 12-16

Click Here For Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Crust

6 ounces walnuts or pecans

2 ounces unsweetened dried grated coconut

6 ounces pitted dates

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Filling

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

9 ounces German Chocolate (Our tastes run to darker chocolate: use semi or bittersweet if you like)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into thin slices, room temperature

2 large eggs, beaten to an even consistency, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Topping

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup half and half

1 egg yolk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup grated coconut, lightly toasted

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

1/8 teaspoon fresh grated sea salt

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. Combine the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the mixture if fairly fine and will hold together when pressed.

3. Turn into a 10″ tart pan and press the (dough) evenly and firmly onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 325 F. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 250F.

4. While the crust is cooking the heavy cream and salt in a medium sauce pan over a medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and cover for 5 minutes.

5. Gently and slowly whisk the melted chocolate into the hot cream taking care not to encourage the formation of bubbles. When the chocolate is evenly incorporated begin adding the butter, piece by piece, stirring the same way.

6. Add the almond extract to the beaten eggs. Strain the egg mixture into the chocolate (using a wire mesh strainer to remove any firm bits of egg). Again, stir gently, slowly, and in the same direction to blend.

7. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture onto the crust, again taking care not to encourage the formation of bubbles. Transfer to the oven and bake on a baking sheet (to evenly distribute the heat) at 250 F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 3 hours and up to 18. Longer is better.

8. To make the coconut pecan topping, combine the sugar, cream, and egg yolk in a heavy sauce pan. Whisk to blend. Add the pieces of butter and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and add the coconut, pecans, almond extract, and sea salt. This can be made ahead and refrigerated, but should be served at warm or at room temperature.

9. To serve: top slices of the tart with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream topped with a tablespoon of the coconut pecan sauce.