BROWNIE TART WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE   
  Ingredients :
    Brownie tart:
    1 cup pecans or nuts, toasted and chopped into pieces
    1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    3 oz (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces
    ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
    1 ¼ cup white sugar
    3 eggs
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    3 oz (85 g) cream cheese, cut into pieces
    ½ cup flour
    ¼ teaspoon salt

    Ganache:
    2 oz (55 g) semi sweet chocolate cut into small pieces
    1/3 cup heavy cream
    Decoration: White and/or dark chocolate shavings
    Optional: Vanilla ice cream

  Preparation:
Brownie tart:
Place chocolate in a saucepan and melt over hot, not boiling water, stirring frequently until soft and smooth. Pour melted chocolate and butter into a medium size bowl. Whisk in cocoa, sugar until thoroughly incorporated. Add eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and cream cheese until small pieces remain. Fold in flour and salt and mix until the flour is incorporated. Add chopped nuts or pecans and mix.

Grease a removable bottom tart pan (9 in / 23 -25 cm) and line the bottom of the pan with greased parchment paper. Place pan on a baking sheet and pour brownie mixture and spread it evenly with an offset spatula. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven to 325°F (175°C) for 30 - 35 minutes or until tester comes clean when introduced 1.5 inch (3 cm) from the sides of pan.

Remove from the oven and cool over a rack for 5 minutes.
Grease the end of a wooden spoon (½ in /1 cm) and make holes every 1.5 inch / 3 cm by introducing and twisting the end of the spoon into the brownie.

This must be done carefully to prevent the tart from tearing. There will be 25 - 30 holes. With a small spoon fill each hole with ganache.
The ganache will dry and sink as is cools. Add more ganache to the holes as needed. Cool tart completely, cover and refrigerate. It is better to prepare this tart the day before, so flavors will have time to blend. This tart will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Ganache:
Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat heavy cream until it starts to boil. Pour immediately over the chopped chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until mixture is soft and smooth.

Before serving garnish with black and/or white chocolate shavings. Optional: Serve with vanilla ice cream
 
        6 - 8 servings
       
 
  Back