- 1/2 c. butter
- 2 T. powdered sugar
- 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. almond meal
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/3 c. heavy cream
- 8 oz. 70% dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 T. amaretto
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2/3 c. canned pumpkin puree (I used homemade pureed butternut squash)
- 1/4 c. slivered almonds
- 1 T. maple syrup
To make the almond shortbread crust, preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine all of the crust ingredients and seal the bag. Using your fingers, pinch the contents of the bad until coarse crumbs form. Gently pat the mixture into a 9-inch tart pan. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the crust from the oven.
To make the filling, add the cream and chocolate to a double broiler over low/medium heat. Stir constantly until all of the chocolate has melted. Gently whisk in the amaretto. In a medium glass bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and sugar. Slowly pour in the chocolate and cream mixture; stirring quickly to incorporate. Slowly stir in the pumpkin or butternut squash puree. Pour the filling into the tart pan, allowing the filling to reach the top edge of the crust. (If you are like me, you'll have additional filling. I simply pour the additional filling into small ramekins and bake it alongside the tart until nearly set. You should see only slight movement if you jiggle them. Remove them from the oven, allow them to cool completely, and store in the refrigerator for an intensely decadent treat. You could also halve the filling ingredients … but try this instead.)
Bake the tart for 22 minutes at 350° F.
Remove the tart and let it cool for 1 hour.
To prepare the topping, place the slivered almond in a small skillet and heat over medium heat until just fragrant, stirring occasionally. Once you smell the toasted almonds, remove them from the heat, add the maple syrup, and continue to toss them gentle to completely coat the nuts. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the tart.
- Yields: 10-12 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour