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Blackberry Almond Truffle Tart

Source of Recipe

fooddownunder.com


List of Ingredients

CRUST
1/3 cup Blanched slivered almonds, (1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Almond extract
1 cup Less 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    Salt,
6 1/2 tbl Cold unsalted butter
2 1/2 tsp Water

FILLING AND FINISH
1 1/2 cup Red current jelly
2 tsp Sugar
2/3 cup Heavy cream
6 oz Good quality bittersweet or semisweet, chopped chocolate
2 tbl Unsalted butter
2 ct Fresh red Blackberries
    Bittersweet chocolate shavings
    Powdered sugar for dusting

* Special equipment: Food Processor 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom


Recipe

* Prepare the crust: In processor bowl, combine almonds, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts. Proceed until very fine. Add the flour and salt; pulse unit well mixed. Cut butter into 10 to 12 pieces and distribute over flour mixture. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in water and pulse until mixture starts to form a dough. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and push together into a flat patty. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.

* Roll dough, between two pieces of plastic wrap, into a circle about 11 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Peel off top sheet of plastic. Use bottom sheet to lift pastry and invert it into tart pan. Line pan as much as possible using the plastic still attached to pastry, as an aid, easing dough into corners without stretching. Peel plastic from dough. If dough is too soft and plastic won't peel, place in freezer of refrigerator for a few minutes before peeling. Pinch dough off at upper rim of pan. Patch the dough as needed with pinched off bits of dough. Reinforce sides, strengthen corners and neaten up rim of crust, making everything as even as possible. Chill at least one hour.

* Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400 degrees. Prick bottom of pastry shell all over with a fork. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown Check after 6 to 8 minutes; if bottom has puffed up, prick again with a fork or skewer to deflate. While still hot, press the bottom of the pan gently just enough to release the edges of the crust from the pan. Leave crust in pan. Cool on a rack. Cool completely before filling.

* Make the filling: Simmer jelly with sugar 2 to 3 minutes until thickened.

* Brush bottom of cooled pastry shell with just enough hot jelly to coat thinly, reserving the rest.

* In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer. Place chopped chocolate and butter, cut into small pieces, in a medium sized bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand one minute. Stir gently without whisking or beating until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Do not reheat; if chocolate is not completely melted, set the mixture aside for a few minutes then stir again. Pour mixture into tart shell. Refrigerate until firm.

* Arrange berries over chocolate, starting around the edge and working toward the center, leaving a tiny bit of space between each berry so that some chocolate is visible. Reheat the red currant jelly and dab each berry lightly to give it a little shine-do not overdo-no need to use up all of the jelly.

* Remove tart rim and place tart on serving dish. Decorate the edge or center of the tart with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate tart until 30-60 minutes before serving. To serve, us a very fine sieve or tea strainer to dust powdered sugar over berries and shavings, like a very light snowfall.

* To make chocolate shavings: Scrape a sharp knife blade across the flat side of a bar of bittersweet chocolate. The shavings will be very fine and very fragile; do not touch them with your fingers or they will melt! Transfer shavings on the knife blade.