Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart

By Pichet Ong, Author, The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts

Cocoa Tart Pastry
1/2 cup (113 grams, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (113 grams, 4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (23 grams, 7/8 ounce) cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1/4 cup (23 grams, 7/8 ounce) almond flour
1 1/3 cups (203 grams, 7 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring
1 large egg
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Chocolate Coffee Ganache:
1/4 cup (75 grams, 2 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups (392 grams, 14 ounces) heavy cream
1/2 cup (113 grams, 4 ounces) evaporated milk
1/3 cup (28 grams, 1 ounce) Vietnamese, chicory, or French Roast coffee powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk ice cream

Chef’s Tip: You can substitute good vanilla ice cream for the Condensed Milk Ice Cream.

1. To make the tart shell: Put the first six ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. With the machine running, add the egg, and process just until the mixture comes together. Form the mixture into a ball, press it into a 1-inch thick disc, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or an 8-inch tart ring set on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

3. Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, rotating the circle a quarter-turn with each roll. Lightly flour the surface of the dough and loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin. Unroll the dough into the prepared tart pan and press the edges up along the sides, trimming off any excess.

4. Freeze until hard, 30 minutes, then line the shell with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, like dried beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the shell from the oven and remove the pie weights and parchment paper and bake until the dough is dry to the touch, 5 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

5. Meanwhile, make the ganache: put the chocolate in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Stir together the cream, evaporated milk, coffee powder, and salt in a small saucepan and set over low heat. As soon as it simmers, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over the chocolate. Immediately begin whisking, incorporating the chocolate into the cream. Once the chocolate melts and the mixture becomes smooth and shiny, whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then the sweetened condensed milk. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and pour into the cooled tart shell.

6. Turn the oven down to 275°F. Bake the tart for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 10 more minutes. When done, the middle should still jiggle slightly, but not be wet. Remove from the oven, cool completely, and serve.