chocolate macadamia-nut tart

Martha Stewart is amazing and so are her recipes. Someday I want to be just like her.....well, sort of.

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My Tyler had a birthday this week and he decided that a birthday cake was too boring for his ten year old self. So, I brought down some of my favorite recipe books and this is what he picked. It's from a cookbook that my brothers bought me when I was like 15. I have always been fascinated by her food. This tart did not disappoint us. However, we did wish we had some vanilla ice cream to go with it. Next time.
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First you have to make a Pate Sucree - which is a Martha word for pie crust.

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ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

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In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut butter in with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolk with 1/4 cup ice water. Add to butter/flour mixture and stir it up. To test, squeeze a small amount of dough together. If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Make the dough into a ball. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

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Now lets make the filling.

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ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) unsalted whole macadamia nuts

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On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch circle. Fit dough into an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim dough evenly along edge of pan; use the remaining trimmings to patch any thin spots. Chill for 30 minutes.

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and salt, then the butter. Stir in the chocolate. Pour into the chilled tart shell.

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Make sure you lick the spoon when done....it taste so much like cookies and cream ice cream!

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Cover the top with nuts, pressing them halfway into the filling.

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Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; continue baking until crust and nuts brown, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature. This recipe is better baked several hours in advance.

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Happy birthday Tyler!