Chocolate Nut Tart {Tarta De Tres Nueces}

This Chocolate Nut Tart or Tarta De Tres Nueces, is a combination of honey, orange zest, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts tucked into a tender, flaky all-butter crust.

I first tasted the chocolate nut tart or Tarte des Tres Nueces many years ago. One bite and I knew I had to have the recipe.

The pastry is brushed with dark chocolate, then three types of nuts are mixed with an orange infused honey and cream filling and baked. Drizzle it with a bit of extra chocolate for a pretty presentation.

This recipe is from my friend Henry, from Nicaragua. Tarta des tres nueces, which means “three nut tart” is a South American dessert, and since then, friends of mine from El Salvador say they have tasted similar tarts back home. (This was originally published on April 5th, 2012 and has been updated to contain nutritional information. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)

 

What kind of nuts go in this tart?

The original recipe contains pecans, hazelnuts and walnuts, but I’ve also made it with almonds too. You can also make a single nut tart, like a Hazelnut Tart, using just chopped hazelnuts. There was a time when I thought I never wanted to see another hazelnut, let alone taste one. The French love hazelnuts. I seems like every French dessert has them. The pastry department in culinary school kept all the food supplies in giant buckets, I guess the idea was that if it was all there for the taking, we wouldn’t have to sneak anything. It worked, I ate a Frenchman’s lifetime of hazelnuts and couldn’t look another one for at least 20 years! Now I love hazelnuts and a hazelnut tart would be fabulous!

In addition to lots of nuts, the filling contains honey, orange or tangerine zest, brown sugar, vanilla and a little bit of cream. I love the combination of honey and nuts. Think baklava and rugelach, but way less work!

How to make this Chocolate and Honey Nut Tart

It’s also super easy to make. If you don’t want to make your own crust from scratch, just buy prepared dough from the freezer section of your supermarket and form it into a tart pan like this one.

• Use a tart pan with a removable bottom. This is not a “pie”, it’s much thinner and a bit more elegant. You don’t want a thick crust.
• Prebake the tart shell until it’s a light golden brown.
• Use good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate on the base of the tart. The darker chocolate balances the sweetness of the tart.

Assemble all the ingredients.

Weigh or measure the nuts. You’ll need 3 cups or 1 1/2 pounds of hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts.

Roll out the pie dough. Prebake the crust.

While the shell is baking, make the filling.

Brush the bottom of the shell with warmed dark or bittersweet chocolate.

Pour the nuts into the shell.

Spread the nuts evenly. Bake. 

If desired, drizzle remaining melted chocolate over tart. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.