Double Chocolate Tart with Black Pepper Ice Cream

                                                                                                      Photo by Stephen Lewis

Say double chocolate anything and I am in!

I know. It’s kind of a pain to make the ice cream from scratch and do all of this work but it is so good. You know it’s well worth the effort when you take your first bite!!

P.S. Just try not eating the entire pan in one sitting.

Bon Appetit!

Double Chocolate Tart with Black Pepper Ice Cream

From Lauren Fortgang, the pastry chef at Le Pigeon in Portland, OR

Ice Cream

2cupsheavy cream
2cupswhole milk
1cupsugar, divided
1teaspoonkosher salt
9large egg yolks
1tablespoonfreshly ground black pepper

Candied Hazelnuts

1/4cupsugar

1large egg white
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
3/4cupskinned hazelnuts

Tart

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

6 1/2ounceschocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers;about 28 cookies), coarsely broken
5tablespoonsunsalted butter, melted
15ounceshigh-quality milk chocolate (such as Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, or Lindt), chopped
1 1/4cupsheavy cream                      

Special Equipment: A 9"-diameter tart pan with a removable bottom; ice cream maker

Ice Cream

Bring cream, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar; remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl to blend; gradually whisk in hot milk mixture and return to saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and your finger leaves a path on the back of a spoon when drawn across, about 6 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Stir in pepper. Set bowl over a large bowl of ice water; stir until cold.

Process custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container, cover, and freeze. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead.

Candied Hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk sugar, egg white, and salt in a medium bowl just until bubbles form. Stir in hazelnuts. Spread out on prepared sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until nuts are golden brown and caramelized, about 50 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Tart

Preheat oven to 325°. Coat tart pan with nonstick spray. Finely grind cookies in a food processor. Drizzle butter over; pulse until blended. Press evenly onto bottom and up sides of pan. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate; stir until melted. Pour filling over cooled crust. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Remove the tart pan side. Cut tart into wedges, working quickly as tart will become gooey as it sits; place 1 piece on each plate. Serve with a scoop of black pepper ice cream and garnish with candied hazelnuts.