German Chocolate Tart Recipe

Make crust

In a medium bowl whisk together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 0.25 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 0.25 cup granulated sugar and 0.25 tsp salt until evenly combined.

Cut 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives (or pulse briefly in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.

Add 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water. Mix gently until dough begins to come together; if too dry add up to 1 more teaspoon cold water. Do not overwork.

Gather dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface roll out chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness and transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough into edges and trim excess; flute edges if desired. Prick bottom a few times with a fork.

Line the crust with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 7–10 minutes more until set and slightly firm. Let cool slightly in pan, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely while preparing fillings.

Prepare ganache

Place 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 0.5 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (do not boil).

Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter if using for extra shine.

Pour a thin, even layer of ganache (about half the mixture) into the cooled tart shell and spread to cover the bottom. Chill in refrigerator for 10–15 minutes to set the chocolate layer before adding the coconut-pecan filling.

Cook filling

In a medium saucepan combine 0.5 cup unsalted butter and 0.75 cup light brown sugar over medium heat. Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

Whisk together 3 large egg yolks and 1 cup evaporated milk in a separate bowl until smooth. Slowly pour about 1/3 cup of the hot butter-sugar mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking to temper, then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining butter-sugar, whisking constantly.

Cook the combined mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and reaches a custard-like consistency that coats the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes. Do not let it boil vigorously to avoid curdling.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp salt. Let cool for 3–4 minutes, then fold in 1.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans until evenly distributed.

Spoon the warm coconut-pecan filling over the set ganache layer in the tart shell and spread evenly. The heat will meld layers together slightly. Return tart to refrigerator and chill 1–2 hours until filling is set.

Once filling is set, if there is remaining ganache from earlier, gently reheat briefly to loosen and drizzle thinly over the top or spread a thin top layer before final chilling. Otherwise skip.

Garnish tart with 0.25 cup extra toasted pecans or coconut and dust lightly with 1 tsp powdered sugar if desired.

Carefully remove tart from pan, slice with a hot, dry knife (wipe between cuts) and serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Store covered in refrigerator up to 3 days.