Chocolate almond coconut cookie crust filled with creamy coconut custard and roasted almonds then topped with hard-shell chocolate sauce.
Chocolate Almond Coconut Tart
Oh, my, my. This chocolate almond coconut tart is scrumptious. So scrumptious that I'm finding it difficult to sit here writing about it instead of heading to the kitchen for another piece. There are two things going on here that I find impossible to resist in a dessert: The tart is not overly sweet, and it includes a delicious contrast of textures in every bite.
Ok. Three things I love about this tart - it's also super easy to make. The crust is simply a mixture of chocolate graham crackers, coconut flakes, almonds, and coconut oil that you grind up in the food processor, press into a tart pan, and bake. It's a deliciously crumbly crust that clings to the coconut custard without getting soggy.
The coconut custard is good enough to serve all on it's own. It's basically a cross between vanilla pudding and pastry cream, flavored with coconut milk and coconut flakes. It's also quite simple to make - boil some milk, whisk it into egg yolks, and stir until thick and delicious. The most challenging part is not eating it straight from the pan before you add it to the tart. (I can tell you on good authority that if a spoonful or two doesn't quite make it into the tart shell, no one will notice.)
Top the tart with hard-shell chocolate sauce that's made from only two ingredients, chocolate chips and coconut oil, and you're done.
Chocolate Almond Coconut Tart
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Almond Coconut Cookie Crust:
- 10 whole chocolate graham crackers
- 4 ½ tablespoon coconut oil, melted and at room temperature
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup whole roasted, salted almonds
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Coconut Custard and Almond Filling:
- 14 oz coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted)
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup roasted, salted almonds, roughly chopped
For the Hard Shell Chocolate Sauce:
- 10 oz bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1 & ¾ cups)
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Almond Coconut Cookie Crust:
- Heat the oven to 325.
- Put the chocolate graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times to break up the crackers into small pieces. Add the remaining crust ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles sand. Dump the crumbs out into a 10 or 11-inch tart shell and press the crumbs firmly up the sides and along the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until the crust looks firm and is very fragrant. Let cool at room temperature.
Make the Coconut Custard and Almond Filling:
- Pour the coconut milk, whole milk, unsweetened coconut flakes, ⅓ cup sugar and salt into a heavy bottom saucepan set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
- While the milk mixture heats, add the remaining ⅓ cup sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch to a bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer, beat until the egg yolks until they are fluffy and lightened in color - about 2 minutes.
- Very slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you do. Return all the custard to the saucepan and place back over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and begins to boil.
- Remove from the heat and scoop into a bowl. Stir in the butter and vanilla and let sit at room temperature for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, to cool slightly.
- Scatter the chopped almonds over the bottom of the crust, spreading them out into an even layer. Pour the custard over the almonds, smoothing it into an even layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Make the Hard Shell Chocolate Sauce:
- Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on 50% power, stopping every 30 seconds to stir. Stop cooking when the chocolate chips are about 75% melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until all the chocolate is melted.
- Pour the chocolate sauce over the top of the tart, using the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it out so that it covers the custard completely. Place in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to firm up - about 15 minutes.
joseph says
wow yummy coconut tart !!!