Chocolate-Banana Tart

TCHO Chocolate-Hazelnut Sucrée, Chocolate Ganache, Miso Salted Caramel, Candied Hazelnuts, Brown Butter-Banana Ice Cream, Caramelizd Banana, Sea Salt, Bee Pollen

Pastry Chef Marie Riddle of Bludorn | Houston, TX

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Adapted by StarChefs  |  September 2025  |  Photo: Matthew Daniel

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate-Hazelnut Sucrée:
Yield: 1.71 kilograms
450 grams butter
250 grams powdered sugar
150 grams eggs
650 grams hazelnut flour
150 grams TCHO Super Powder cocoa powder
10 grams kosher salt

Miso Salted Caramel:
Yield: 2.817 kilograms
1.2 kilograms heavy cream
480 grams glucose syrup
720 grams granulated sugar
20 grams white miso paste
300 grams butter
72 grams TCHO oat milk chocolate
25 grams kosher salt

Hazelnut-Chocolate Ganache:
Yield: 725 grams
300 grams gianduja
150 grams TCHO dark chocolate
180 grams heavy cream
40 grams glucose syrup
30 grams trimoline
25 grams butter

Miso-Chocolate Ganache:
Yield: 3.84 kilograms
1.2 kilograms TCHO dark chocolate
50 grams white miso paste
436 grams egg yolks
190 grams granulated sugar
962 grams heavy cream
962 grans whole milk
40 grams bloomed gelatin

Candied Hazelnuts:
Yield: 1.11 kilograms
500 grams granulated sugar
600 grams toasted hazelnuts
10 grams kosher salt

Brown Butter-Banana Ice Cream:
Yield: 3.341 kilograms
10 grams kosher salt
460 grams browned butter
6 bananas, peeled
1.44 kilograms whole milk
480 grams heavy cream
10 grams Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla bean paste
400 grams granulated sugar
320 grams egg yolks
100 grams milk powder
100 grams glucose powder
15 grams ice cream stabilizer

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Caramelized banana slices
Flaky sea salt
Bee pollen

METHOD

For the Chocolate-Hazelnut Sucrée:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs and 50 grams water, mixing until just combined. Fold in remaining ingredients. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured work surface. Using a sheeter, roll out dough until 1-millimeter-thick. Using a 9-inch ring mold, punch out dough. Transfer rounds to 9-inch tart molds. Freeze until set. Place molds on a sheet tray. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake 6 minutes. Rotate tray, then bake additional 6 minutes. Let cool.

For the Miso Salted Caramel:
In a pot over medium flame, heat cream and glucose until mixture is steaming. Set aside. In a pot over medium heat, add sugar. Heat until sugar has dissolved and a caramel is achieved. Deglaze pot with miso and hot cream-glucose mixture. Cook until mixture reaches 226°F. Remove from heat and let cool until mixture reaches 176°F. Add butter and chocolate. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, mix until smooth. Strain into a nonreactive container. Let cool.

For the Hazlenut-Chocolate Ganache:
Place gianduja and chocolate in a nonreactive container and set aside. In a pot over medium flame, heat cream, glucose, and trimoline until steaming. Pour mixture over chocolate. Add butter and mix until fully emulsified. Pour mixture into molds with Chocolate-Hazelnut Sucrée. Refrigerate until set.

For the Miso-Chocolate Ganache:
In a nonreactive container, add chocolate and miso. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, add eggs and sugar. Whisk to combine, then set aside. In a pot over medium flame, heat cream and milk until steaming. Temper egg mixture with hot cream mixture. Add egg mixture to pot and stir to incorporate. Cook until mixture reaches 180°F. Stir in gelatin. Strain mixture over chocolate and miso. Mix until fully emulsified. Set aside.

For the Candied Hazelnuts:
In a pot over medium heat, add sugar. Cook until sugar has dissolved and a caramel is achieved. Stir in hazelnuts and salt. Pour mixture onto a silicone-lined sheet tray. Let cool. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until a coarse mixture is achieved. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.

For the Brown Butter-Banana Ice Cream:
Place salt in a nonreactive container and set aside. In a pan over medium heat, warm browned butter. Add bananas and sear until golden brown. Transfer bananas and pan sauce to a Vitamix Commercial blender. Purée until smooth. Transfer mixture to a pot over medium heat. Stir in milk, cream, and vanilla paste. Heat until mixture begins to steam. In a mixing bowl, whisk  to combine sugar, egg yolks, milk powder, glucose powder, and stabilizer. Temper egg mixture with hot milk mixture. Add egg mixture to pot and cook until mixture reaches 180°F. Strain over salt and mix to combine. Let cool over an ice bath. Transfer ice cream base to an ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze.

To Assemble and Serve:
Bring chocolate-banana tart to room temperature. Transfer to a serving plate. Pipe Miso-Chocolate Ganache over Hazlenut-Chocolate Ganache. Top with caramelized banana slices, desired amount Candied Hazelnuts, salt, and 1 quenelle Brown Butter-Banana Ice Cream. Finish with bee pollen and salt.

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