Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart

TCHO Dark Chocolate Ganache, Cacao Nib Cream, Hazelnut Pâte Sucrée, Candied Hazelnuts, TCHO Dark Chocolate Tuile

Pastry Chef Linnea Scott of Ben’s Bread | Seattle, WA

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Adapted by StarChefs  |  November 2025 |  Photo: Jeriel Calamayan

INGREDIENTS

Cacao Nib Cream:
3.6 kilograms heavy cream
600 grams granulated sugar
200 grams TCHO Crush This cacao nibs
6 grams kappa carrageenan
5 grams sea salt
6 grams Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla extract

Hazelnut Pâte Sucrée:
Yield: 4.33 kilograms
1.36 kilograms butter, room temperature
610 grams granulated sugar
225 grams egg yolks
90 grams heavy cream
1.85 kilograms whole wheat pastry flour
200 grams ground hazelnuts 

Candied Hazelnuts:
275 grams granulated sugar
250 grams toasted hazelnuts, broken into halves
2 teaspoons flaky salt

Chocolate Tuile:
410 grams granulated sugar
4 grams pectin
99 grams butter
71 grams glucose
6 grams espresso powder
5 grams sea salt
4 grams TCHO Super Powder unsweetened cocoa powder
128 grams TCHO Choco Combo 68% dark chocolate

Chocolate Filling:
283 grams TCHO Choco Combo 68% dark chocolate
240 grams heavy cream
120 grams whole milk
75 grams granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
100 grams whole eggs

METHOD

For the Cacao Nib Cream:
In a pot over medium heat, bring cream, sugar, cacao nibs, kappa carrageenan, and salt to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and let steep 45 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Pass mixture through a chinois into a hotel pan. Cover with parchment paper. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, whisk mixture until almost medium peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.

For the Hazelnut Pâte Sucrée:
Heat a Vulcan combination oven to 300°F at 60-percent steam setting and low fan speed. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Add yolks and cream. Mix until fully incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add flour and hazelnuts. Mix until just combined. Divide dough into 430-gram portions. Transfer to a clean work surface and  roll out dough between sheets of parchment paper into a 18-by-13-inch rectangle. Refrigerate until chilled.   Using a 4-inch ring tart mold, punch out chilled dough into rounds. Place into 4-inch tart pans and transfer to a sheet tray. Freeze until chilled. Once cooled, bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and using a measuring cup or light weight, press rounds down to eliminate bubbles. Bake additional 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. Reserve.

For the Candied Hazelnuts:
In a pot over high heat, add sugar and enough water to just submerge. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove lid. Cook until water completely evaporates and a medium caramel color is achieved. Stir in hazelnuts and salt until hazelnuts are evenly coated in caramel. Transfer mixture to a silicone-lined half sheet tray in an even layer. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.

For the Chocolate Tuile:
Heat Vulcan combination oven to 320°F at 30-percent steam setting and low fan speed. In a mixing bowl, combine 205 grams sugar and pectin. Set aside. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, bring remaining 205 grams sugar, butter, glucose, espresso powder, salt, cocoa powder, and 104 grams water to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in reserved sugar-pectin mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in chocolate until fully melted. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth. Pour mixture on to a silicone-lined sheet tray and let cool. Once cooled, using an offset spatula, spread mixture into a thin, even layer. Bake 8 minutes. Let cool, then break into desired size pieces. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. 

For the Chocolate Filling:
Place chocolate in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring cream, milk, sugar, and salt to a simmer, or until sugar and salt have completely dissolved. Pour mixture over chocolate, whisking until chocolate has fully melted. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture. Pass through a chinois and set aside. 

To Assemble and Serve:
Heat Vulcan combination oven to 325°F at 60-percent steam setting on low fan speed. Evenly fill Hazelnut Pâte Sucrée molds with Chocolate Filling. Bake 8 minutes, or until filling is set and glossy. Let cool. Once cooled, top with desired amount Cacao Nib Cream. Garnish with Candied Hazelnuts and Chocolate Tuile.

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