Nutella Tart

Nutella Tart with Toasted Hazelnut Crust

1 cup chopped unsalted hazelnuts

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

3 tablespoons ice water

Nutella Filling:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup Nutella

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300°

Lightly toast hazelnut in the oven for 10 minutes.

Once the nuts are done, remove from the oven and turn the oven up to 350°F

For the Crust:

Use a food processor to pulse ¾ cup of the toasted hazelnuts, (reserving 1/4 cup for the topping) the flour, sugar, and salt together until it resembles a coarse meal. Add cold, cubed butter and process until the butter is pea sized. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the mixture starts to come together. Transfer it to a work surface and bring all the lose flour together with wet fingers making sure not to use too much water. 

Transfer the mixture to a removable bottom 9-inch tart pan and press It down evenly in the bottom and bringing all the way up the sides using a lightly floured measuring cup.

The next step would be to blind bake it. To blind bake, line the crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights- I use chickpeas as pie weight and works perfectly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven to a rack and let it to cool. 

Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and ½ cup of heavy cream in small bowl. This premixing helps to prevent lumps in the filling. Combine cornstarch mixture, remaining heavy cream, Nutella, and salt into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk thoroughly to combine all the ingredients into a smooth mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil while constantly whisking and allow to cook for 3 more minutes until it thickens. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla, before pouring into the crust. Use a offset spatula to swirl a pattern in the filling.

Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Top it with reserved hazelnut for serving.