WHAT MOM REALLY WANTS
It's Chocolate.
What does Mom really want for Mother’s Day this year???
One might think of flowers, a homemade card, perhaps even a piece of jewelry… but for most mothers we know, they just want some chocolate and a F@&KING MINUTE BY THEMSELVES! So do what your mom wants this year. Make her a nice meal (that YOU clean up!) and leave her ALONE. It’s just one day. We know you can do it. :)
Don’t forget to take a spin through our archives for all sorts of recipes that are perfect for a Mother’s Day Brunch!
CHOCOLATE PRETZEL TART
AU: I come from the camp that all meals should end with a lil somethin’ sweet. And, lucky for you, this Chocolate Pretzel Tart is the EASIEST lil somethin’ you’ll ever make. Even if you’re a non-baker!
EK: And, it is the definition of a kitchen collab! Anthony and I were taking stock of what we wanted to cook/bake RN. I had been thinking of an easy, but rich chocolate pie that I created for my Pie Program at Hill Country Chicken [RIP]. It was basically a fudgey filling with walnuts… We started riffing and I thought how much easier it would be if it was a flourless chocolate cake, a.k.a. chocolate ganache with eggs…
And, brilliantly AU said, “yes with a salty pretzel-toasted hazelnut crust!” Booooiinng! All of a sudden I had visions of those Chocolate Covered Pretzels covered in nuts and candy, but elegant and like P.I.E!, A simple tart for mom or any other chocolate lover in your life who you feel like spoiling!
AU: First of all, there are only 8 ingredients, including the crust. Secondly, there’s no rolling out a crust and par-baking it. Third, it’s incredibly forgiving—even for first timers… which makes it the perfect treat to bake up for your mom this weekend!
AU: Because there are so few ingredients, the filling uses A LOT of chocolate. A whole pound, in fact! If you’re close to a TJ’s, they sell these ginormous “Pound Plus” bars, which are 17.6 ounces. I think you should use the best chocolate you have access to… but we’re pairing this with a pretzel crust, so like, go easy on yourself and don’t feel like you have to use the single-origin stuff here. A good-quality store brand will be perfect.
EK: Chocolate can get very pricey and there is no reason to pay more for it than you have to! The great thing about TJ’s is that you pay for the good quality and not the branding or advertising.
Besides the prices, I love the chocolate. It’s European chocolate, made in Belgium and excellent quality. And, it comes in a variety of flavors from milk chocolate to Dark Chocolate at 54% and ultra-dark at 72% cacao so there is a level of bitterness/sweetness for everyone.
AU: Now let’s focus on the crust… With an assist from Ms. Elizabeth Karmel, I was able to make quick work of a bag of pretzels, some hazelnuts (because hello? hazelnuts + chocolate = happiness), and a little sugar to help bind it together.
You can scatter it all in the work bowl of a food processor and blitz it together. Just use 1-second pulses, as opposed to letting the whole thing run continuously. This will prevent the hazelnuts from becoming too nut-buttery. Once the mixture resembles dry sand (a few large chunks are still okay), run the motor constantly and pour in the melted butter using the feeding tube. The mixture will look like wet sand with a few clumps here and there.
Tip it all into a 9”-10” tart pan and press it into an even layer, and up the sides. I used a metal dry-measuring cup to help get an even surface. Refrigerate your crust while you make the chocolate filling. This is an important step, because it helps the crust set (without the need to blind bake it).
EK: Anthony and I were thinking of the salted pretzel crust that I made for a Margarita Pie (again, RIP HCC!), but the thing I love about a good collab is that he made it richer and nuttier with the hazelnuts and he streamlined the whole process!
If you don’t want to make your crust, you can use a store-bought graham cracker crust, or a frozen pie shell—just don’t forget to salt the top of your pie/tart (see below) because the salt really balances and sets off the dark chocolate.
AU: Like I said earlier, the filling is—pardon my french—a shitload of chocolate. Add heavy cream to a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Once you see bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan, add in 1 POUND of chopped bittersweet or dark chocolate. This is an intensely chocolatey dessert, so don’t feel like you have to go super dark—anywhere above 50% cacao is great.
Let the chocolate sit in the warmed cream for a bit, so it melts. Then stir until it’s smooth. Then it’s just about stirring in the eggs, one at a time, until the whole mixture is shiny and smooth. I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract at the end, but you could also use bourbon, or a flavored liqueur like Grand Marnier or Chambord.
EK: Well, you know me—I love a boozy dessert moment so a touch of Bourbon or your favorite liqueur would be a nice addition. You could also make a boozy whipped cream to serve with it if you really want to gild the chocolate! But she is so gorgeous that she doesn’t even need the extra garnish unless you are feeling EXTRA!!
AU: Place the tart onto a rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment for easy cleanup, and sprinkle generously with flakey sea salt. If you want to make this more pretzel-y, feel free to press some mini twist into the top!
Bake the tart at 350ºF for about 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the filling to be firm, but you do want it to be set. So it should have a tiny wobble to it when you take it out of the oven. Let it cool to room temp, then slice and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!!
xoxo A&E
That really does sound good! Happy Mom’s Day to all the mothers in your life.