Crostata with Chocolate, Hazelnuts & Orange

For the tart shell:
1 batch (12 ounces) sweet dough for molded tarts, chilled (see separate recipe)

For the chocolate layer:
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks

For the main filling:
⅓ cup hazelnuts, toasted in the oven and skins rubbed off
a medium-size orange, for zest
⅔ cup sugar
6 T soft butter
2 eggs
1 T all-purpose flour
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped in very small pieces (about ½ cup)
2 T orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Gran Marnier

Preparing the tart filling:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven with a baking stone on it, if you have one. Preheat the oven to 350°.

Roll and press the dough to form the tart shell, as detailed on page 000. Put the shell into the refrigerator to chill.

Put the 5 ounces of chocolate chunks in a bowl and set over a pot with very hot water (barely simmering). Stir as the chocolate begins to melt, enabling it to become molten at the lowest temperature. When completely smooth, pour the chocolate into the tart shell and spread it to cover the dough bottom completely.

Put the hazelnuts in the food processor and pulse to chop them into small bits-don’t turn them into a powder or paste. Empty the nuts into a bowl and wipe out the food processor (you don’t have to wash it).

To prepare the orange zest for the filling, rinse and dry the orange and remove only the outer colored zest in strips, about 2-inches long, with a vegetable peeler. Stack up a few strips at a time and slice them lengthwise into very thin slivers with a sharp paring knife. Then cut the slivers crosswise into tiny bits, like glitter or small confetti: you should have about 2 tablespoons.

Now you’ll blend the main filling in the processor, adding the ingredients separately; frequently scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is processed evenly. First blend the sugar and butter, processing about 30 seconds until smooth. With the machine running, drop in the eggs and process for a minute or more until smooth and slightly thickened (be sure to scrape the sides). drop in the flour and blend until smooth; scrape the bowl.

With the machine off, drop in the chopped orange peel, chocolate and hazelnuts and pulse for only a second or 2 to incorporate. Finally, whiz in the orange liqueur for just a second. Take the processor bowl off the base and scrape the filling from the sides and blade. Stir one last time and pour it into the tart shell. Smooth the surface with a spatula to form an even layer.

Filling and baking the tart:
Set the tart mold onto the hot baking stone, if you have one, or to the middle rack. Bake for 25 minutes or so and rotate the mold for even baking. As the filling sets it will start to crack around the edges (when it starts to crack in the center, it is done). Bake 35 to 40 minutes total until the filling is puffed, firm in the center and a cake tester comes out clean. The tart crust should be nicely browned as well.

Set the baked tart on a wire rack to cool. If using a tart ring with a removeable bottom, remove the ring; slide the tart off the round mold bottom onto a platter if you want.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream, if desired.