Earl Grey Creme Tart with Golden Almond Brittle & TGIF!

Toasting almonds in a flat pan, sugar boiling away in another saucepan, praying, wishing and sweating profusely hoping that I would not burn my sugar and my idea of Almond Candy Brittle would work. Phew! a sigh of relief. For once I paid extra care, extra attention, being careful, and to not walk away; cause we all know how fast sugar goes from golden in colour to a burnt stage. Been there several times and the thought of scrubbing a burnt saucepan isn't exactly what I have in mind this time. Part 2 of mission accomplished. You will soon find out why I labeled it Part 2.

To my surprised it added extra oopmh and charm to the EARL GREY CREME TART with GOLDEN ALMOND BRITTLE. A combination of dark crumbly chocolate tart shell, with luscious creamy smooth soft Earl Grey infused custard then topped with crunchy Almond Candy. Perfect for any cool day or any day!

Well, Part 2 begins here. No blow torch to begin with, yet I went ahead, conjuring up a plan to make Creme Brulee. As a foodie, one would think that I have a sophisticated pallet. Who would actually believe me that the thing that gets me all the time is the sound of cracking into that thin layer of the caramelized sugar, followed by spooning into that creamy smooth soft vanilla creme.

So, not a creme brulee this time. What was I thinking really? To my dismay, my plan didn't quite work as I hoped for. All those read up on caramelizing the sugar using a broiler or oven didn't work  Maybe I was doing something wrong? So peeps, if you have a better suggestion, bring it on, as I am all ears. Plus side, the creme filling is a basic creme brulee recipe which can be switched up to any flavours (coffee, orange, orange cardamom, lavender, rose or maple and the list is endless). 

While I did not want to bow to my failure, I came up with a back-up plan instead. Feeling like a hero, I safe my remainder tarts, and made some really simple Almond Brittle. Not only you get 1 treat, now you get 2 treats. Happy FRIDAY y'all! 

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Earl Grey Crème Tart with Almond Brittle
by Chic & Gorgeous Treats                                          

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*Makes 6 individual medium tarts.
*Makes a single 8 or 9 inches round tart.
*Tart is best served on the same day.


^INGREDIENTS

Dark Chocolate Tart Shell 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, sifted 2 teaspoons dark cocoa powder, sifted 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/2-1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) Milk Chocolate Glaze 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate a small knob of butter 1 tablespoon golden syrup  Earl Grey Creme Custard 5 egg yolks 2 cups whipping cream 3/4 cup caster sugar 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 2 packets of Earl Grey tea
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease 6 individual tart pan or a single tart pan with a removable bottom, and lightly sprinkle some cocoa powder. In a food processor, blend sifted flour, cocoa powder butter, 1/3 cup sugar and salt until moist crumbs form (this may take up to approximately 1-2 minutes). 2. Transfer dough to a prepared tart pan. With cocoa-floured fingers, press dough evenly into pan and up sides. Dip a dry measuring cup in flour, and use it to press dough firmly into bottom and against sides of pan. Freeze crust in a fridge until firm for about 10-15 minutes. 3. Using a fork, prick crust all over. Line tart shell with parchment paper and weigh it down with beans or baking weights. Bake for about 8 minutes, take it out and remove the liner. Transfer back to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Using a flat base measuring cup, press down gently once or twice during baking if crust puffs up. Let cool completely in pan before transferring onto wire rack. 4. Meanwhile, in a double boiler bring water up to a boil and turn heat down to continue to simmer. With a heatproof bowl seated on top, melt chocolate together with butter and corn syrup. Stir it occasionally to help chocolate melt. NOTE* Bowl should not touch the simmering water. Using a small spatula spread a thin layer of melted chocolate in the tart shells. 5. In a jug, combine egg yolks cream, vanilla bean paste and sugar. Lightly whisk them to combine. Pour into a medium deep saucepan, adding both tea bags and let it simmer over medium heat for a couple of minutes stirring occasionally or until mixture thickens coating the back of a wooden spoon. Transfer immediately to a bowl, covering with a cling film by pressing it down gently over the crème custard, to prevent a layer of skin from forming. Custard will continue to thickened after its’ cooled. 6. To assemble, spoon cooled Earl Grey Crème Custard to each individual tart shell. For Almond Candy Brittle, line cookie sheet with silicon mat or parchment paper. In a medium deep saucepan, over medium low heat bring up to a boil 1 cup caster sugar and 1/4 cup caster sugar. Sugar turns to liquid (about soft ball stage) at around 170°C (if you have a sugar thermometer). Once sugar has turned to liquid, be extra careful here. When it starts turning light gold in colour around the edges, swirl it slightly and prepare to take it off the heat. Pour it over the lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle toasted almonds and transfer set aside to allow it to cool and harden. Break the Almond Candy Brittle and top it on each tart before serving. ENJOY!

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xx