Chocolate macadamia tarts

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Macadamia nuts, finely ground
¾ cup Unsifted all-purpose flour
⅓ cup Granulated sugar
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Butter, melted
½ cup Plus 2 T heavy cream
3 1-oz squares semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 pack (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup Granulated sugar
2 larges Eggs
2 tablespoons Creme de Cacao, or other chocolate-flavored liqueur
Vanilla Sauce (recipe follows)

Directions

MACADAMIA NUT CRUST

CHOCOLATE FILLING

1. Prepare Macadamia Nut Crust: In medium-size bowl, combine ground macadamia nuts, flour, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until blended. With fingers, press crust mixture into bottom and sides of six 4-inch fluted tart pans; set aside.

2. Prepare Chocolate Filling: In 1 quart saucepan, heat ½ C cream over medium heat. Place chocolate in small bowl. When cream begins to boil, remove from heat; pour over chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth; set aside.

3. Heat oven to 325'F. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add granulated sugar and beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in remaining 2 T cream and the Creme de Cacao. Stir in chocolate mixture.

4. Divide filling among tart shells; bake 25 to 30 minutes or until filling appears set. Cool tarts completely in pans on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate tarts until ready to serve. Meanwhile, prepare Vanilla Sauce.

5. To serve, spoon Vanilla Sauce onto each of 6 dessert plates. Place a Chocolate Macadamia Tart on top of Vanilla Sauce; garnish each tart with chocolate curls and confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Vanilla Sauce: In 1-quart saucepan, combine ½ C heavy cream and ⅓ C milk; cook over medium heat just until bubbles form around edge of pan.

Remove from heat. In medium-size bowl, beat together 3 T sugar and 2 large egg yolks. Gradually pour cream mixture into yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Pour mixture back into saucepan, cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. (Do not boil.) Strain Va- nilla Sauce into bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Country Living Holidays/92 Scanned & fixed by Di Pahl & <gg> From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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