BEAUTY AND THE BEAST HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE ROSE TART
I have always been a Disney junkie. My sisters and I were raised on the Disney classics. From Snow White and Pinocchio (both kinda creepy), to The Three Caballeros (NEVER overlook that one – my sisters and I used run around the house singing the theme song), Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty (love the good fairies), The Sword in the Stone, Cinderella (she’s sassy), Robin Hood…our Disney VHS collection was legendary.
And then came the Alan Menkin/Howard Ashman years. The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, and yes BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Ask my kids who my favorite princess is, and they will tell you it is Belle because of her love for books. Yes, I’m a voracious reader. Having a Kindle in my Manhattan apartment has been a lifesaver. I saw a great Facebook meme the other day that summed it up really well:
In anticipation of the upcoming live action remake, my 6-year-old daughter dressed up as Belle (complete with accessory) for the Jewish holiday of Purim. (Older Daughter was Angelica Schuyler from Hamilton, and Son was a hot dog.) The plan is to have a girls outing and go with my mom, sisters, and daughters. My son and husband are planning to wash their hair that day. (They’ll probably end up going with Baba to some entirely inappropriate-for-an-eight-year-old movie, and there’s nothing I can do about it because I will be at Beauty and the Beast.)
Also, Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ewan MacGregor (Husband refers to him as my boyfriend), Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson!!!!! That is all.
So , mesdames et messieurs, in honor of the recent premiere of the live-action Beauty and the Beast movie, I am proud to present Chocolate-Hazelnut Rose Tart. The tart has a hazelnut crust and is filled with a layer of homemade chocolate hazelnut-spread (BONUS BLOG ENTRY). Not only do you know exactly what is in the spread, but it is dairy-free. (I told you I would be lending a helping hand to the kosher and/or dairy-averse people out there.). The roses are just super pretty. So go nuts.
Full disclosure: I was inspired by some photos I saw of rose tarts. While I did not use any of the associated recipes, preferring to make up my own, aesthetically this tart may look like several others that were spotlighted this week.
INGREDIENTS:
For the Tart Shell:
6 Tbsp/¾ stick (85g) unsalted butter or all natural butter substitute (eg. Earth Balance), slightly softened
½ cup (60g) confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 Cup (135g) all purpose flour
½ cup (56g) hazelnut meal (eg. Bob’s Red Mill)
¼ tsp kosher salt
For the Filling:
4 apples with pink skin. Not Red Delicious. They’re the worst.
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 Cup Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Stand or Hand Mixer
9” Tart Shell with a removable bottom
Food Processor
Mandolin (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
MAKE THE TART SHELL:
- MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS: Beat the butter and the confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. ADD the vanilla extract and the egg yolk and mix until incorporated.
- ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS: Add the flour, hazelnut meal, and salt and mix until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and starts to form a ball.
- REFRIGERATE: Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- ROLL OUT AND BAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Peel off the top layer of paper and invert the dough into the tart shell. Press into all of the nooks and crannies. Use the dough scraps to mend all of the tears and to thicken any thin spots. Line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the lining and the beans and bake another 15 minutes. Cool.
MAKE THE FILLING:
- PREP THE APPLES: Slice the apples paper thin. If you have one, you may want to use a mandolin. Put in a bowl with water, lemon juice, and sugar and microwave for 5 minutes until soft.
- SPREAD THE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD: Spread 1 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread on the bottom of the cooled tart shell.
- MAKE THE ROSES: Scoop handfuls of the softened apple slices onto paper towels and dry. Wrap into rosettes and “plant” in the chocolate hazelnut spread. Vary your sizes, and fill in the gaps with tiny “rosettes”.
