Chocolate Caramel Banana Hazelnut Tart

**This post was originally published on HonestCooking.com, a brand new online food magazine, for which I am a contributor. The website launched in March, and it is a great new resource for recipes, travel, restaurant reviews and foodie opinion pieces. Check it out here!**

Haven’t had enough chocolate and caramel yet? Don’t worry, you can eat the last of the salted chocolate covered caramels that you may be hoarding, because there is a new treat in town. I promised I would share an amazing, incredibly decadent tart with you, and I wouldn’t dream of letting you down.

It’s got chocolate and caramel (of course) but it also has bananas, and nutella, and hazelnuts. I personally don’t think it gets much better than that. I have made many chocolate tarts before, most of them fairly simple, and to be honest, a little boring. Don’t get me wrong, people love a chocolate crust, with chocolate filling, and chocolate topping (and if you want to get really crazy, served with chocolate ice cream), but I was looking for something with a little more oomph, and a little more depth.

I found it in this tart.The crust and the chocolate ganache topping are fairly straight forward but what is hiding between is sublime and takes this tart to a whole new level. It’s an oozy, gooey, banana-caramel-nutella filling that just might make your knees weak. If that happens, just find a big comfy chair, sit yourself down, and dig in.

Chocolate Caramel Banana Tart
adapted from mytarteletteblog.com
makes 1 14-inch rectangular tart or 1 9-inch round tart

Crust
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup nutella
2 bananas, peeled and mashed

Ganache Topping
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Crust:
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together just until thoroughly combined. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Add the flour and the cocoa powder and mix just until combined, scraping the bowl down as needed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and press gently into a ball. Shape into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to fit your tart pan, until it is about 1/4 - 3/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to your tart pan, and press gently to fit it into all the nooks and crannies. If it falls apart at all, it is okay, just piece it together and press it into the pan. Cut off any excess dough, and line the shell with parchment paper. Fill the paper with dry beans or pie weights and bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes. When it is completely cooked, remove the pie weights and parchment paper, and let cool completely.

Filling:
In a medium sized saucepan over high heat, bring the sugar and water up to a boil, and continue to boil until it turns a deep caramel color. Remove from the heat, and quickly and carefully add the cream and butter, and stir to combine. It is normal for it to bubble vigorously. Return the saucepan back to the stove and cook while stirring over low heat until it is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled, stir in the nutella and the banana until smooth. Pour into prepared crust, and chill for at least 2 hours.

Topping:

Place the chocolate in a medium stainless or glass bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer, then remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let sit for about 30 seconds, then stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until completely smooth. Let the ganache cool for a few minutes, and then pour over filled tart. Smooth quickly with an offset spatula and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Chill until firm.