This was so well received when I made it last year, Diane asked for a return performance for tonight's Passover Seder. For the purists, I guess you could substitute margarine for the butter, but that would be sad.
Adapted from Jenna Huntsberger's InTheMoment.
For the almond orange tart crust
6 oz almonds
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp orange zest
5 tbs butter, melted
Butter a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, grind almonds with sugar and orange zest until coarsly ground. Add butter and process a couple pulses more, until the butter is evenly distributed (you may need to stir a couple times with a small spatula). Pat almond mixture into bottom and sides of tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until the nuts are lightly toasted, then remove to a rack to cool.
For the chocolate orange almond filling
1/2 cup butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
5 large eggs, separated
3/4 cups sugar
2 tbs orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
1 cup almond flour
[Since I don't have almond flour, I run 1 cup of Trader Joe's almond meal, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the orange zest in the Cuisinart until finely ground.]
Leave oven on at 350°F.
Melt butter and chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature.
Whisk egg yolks with sugar until until they become pale yellow. Whisk in cooled chocolate mixture until evenly combined. Whisk in orange juice, orange zest, and almond flour.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until they are stiff, but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Then fold in the remaining 3/4 egg whites, until evenly combined.
Pour filling into the almond tart shell and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is puffed and set in the center. Remove to a rack to cool.
Because the egg whites will cause the filling to puff up irregularly, you will need to level the top of the tart before glazing. Use a serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the top of the tart to make an even, level surface. Brush off all crumbs.
For the almond praline
1 cup sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
Place a Silpat liner in a baking sheet.
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar until light gold, stirring with a fork until the sugar dissolves (it will clump, but just continue to stir to let it dissolve evenly). Let color to a deep caramel color, tilting pan to ensure all sugar is melted and browning evenly. Add the nuts and stir for one minute, until fragrant.
Immediately pour caramel mixture onto baking sheet, spreading with an offset spatula into a thin layer. Let cool, then peel off Silpat and break into irregular pieces.
For the chocolate glaze
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup hot water (120°F)
In a small bowl melt the chocolate in the microwave on low power, stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Remove just before all the chocolate is melted and allow the residual heat to finish the melting process.
Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, stirring until blended. If necessary, you can heat the chocolate/butter mixture gently in the microwave – but don’t let it get too hot, otherwise the butter will separate.
Add the hot water all at once and stir until combined. [I don't think this is necessary; this time I added about a tablespoon of water.]
Assemble the tart
Note: remember to level the top of the tart with a serrated knife before glazing.
Generously ladle the glaze over the top of the tart and use offset spatula to spread the glaze to the edges. Delicately place pieces of praline onto the glaze in a decorative, irregular pattern. Let glaze set for two hours.
Gently remove tart from pan and place on serving platter.
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