Recipe: buckwheat-almond praliné chocolate tart

Buckwheat chocolate tart

Serves: 6 to 8 

Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Chill Time: 40 minutes 

Bake Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing the pan
• 9oz (250g) vanilla sweet pastry dough (see recipe below)
• ⅓cup (80ml) whole milk
• ¼cup (60ml) heavy cream
• 2tbsp honey
• 6oz (180g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 7oz (200g) buckwheat-almond praliné (see recipe below)
• 1 pinch fleur de sel
• 2 pinches toasted buckwheat or kasha (If using raw buckwheat, lightly toast for 1 hour before beginning the recipe).

Method

1. Grease a 9in (22cm) tart pan with butter. Roll out the dough to ⅛ to 1/12 in (2 to 3mm) thick on a floured surface. Transfer the dough to the tart pan and prick the base with a fork. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Bake the tart shell for 20 minutes until evenly golden. Remove from the oven and cool

3. To make the ganache, add the milk, cream, and honey to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the milk mixture over the chocolate a third at a time, stirring between each addition to create a smooth emulsion

4. To assemble, spread the praliné in the cooled tart shell. Pour the still-warm ganache over the top. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and toasted buckwheat

5. Chill the tart in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set the ganache, then let it sit at room temperature until ready to serve.

Vanilla sweet pastry dough

Makes: 1lb (450g) 

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Chill Time: 8 hours

Ingredients

• 9tbsp butter, room temperature
• ⅔ cup (80g) powdered sugar
• ¼ cup (27g) almond flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1¾ cups (216g) all-purpose flour

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and almond flour.

2. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until smooth.

3. Gradually incorporate the all-purpose flour a third at a time, mixing just until combined. Do not overwork the dough.

4. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten to about ¾inch (2cm) thick, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 8 hours.

Buckwheat-almond praliné

Praline vs. praliné: The two sweets are similar, but the former is a soft candy with nuts where the latter is a paste made from grinding nuts with sugar. For this recipe, the addition of oil is essential, as buckwheat is low in fat, and fat is key to achieving a silky texture.

Makes: 2 x 13oz (380ml) jars 

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2½ cups (340g) raw almonds
• 1½ cups (226g) toasted buckwheat or kasha
• ¾cup (170g) sugar
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• ¼cup (60ml) neutral oil (If using raw buckwheat, toast for 1 hour before beginning the recipe).

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Spread the almonds and toasted buckwheat or kasha on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

3. In a saucepan, bring ¼cup (60ml) of water and the sugar to a gentle boil and cook until a light amber caramel forms, about 350°F (175°C). Pour over the toasted nuts and let cool.

4. Transfer the caramelised mixture to a food processor (not a blender). Add the vanilla seeds and blend until the mixture is sandy. Slowly add the oil and continue blending until smooth and spreadable.

5. Store in sterilized jars at room temperature for up to 1 year.

Extracted from The Seasonal Pantry by Benoît Castel, published by Tra Publishing. Photography by Guillaume Czerw.