Without a doubt, this is the richest dessert in this cookbook. It’s an adapted and revised version of one of my restaurant’s most beloved desserts, Walnut Passion Bars. I’ve turned them into a tart and added buttery macadamias.

　　

Ingredients

serves 12

　　

CHOCOLATE CRUST

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

　　1/3 cup light agave nectar

　　1 large egg

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　Pinch of sea salt

　　1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

　　1/2 cup sprouted spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour

　　

FILLING

1/2 cup unsalted butter

　　2 cups amber agave nectar

　　1/4 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/2 cup light cream

　　3 cups whole raw macadamia nuts

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　Sinfully Rich Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (page 82) or Agave Nectar Whipped Cream (page 113), for garnish (optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch removable bottom tart pan with a circle of parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

In an electric mixer, beat together all the crust ingredients until smooth and creamy. Pour the batter into the prepared tart pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is set.

　　

Step 3

For the filling, combine the butter, agave nectar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. The mixture should reach 250°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, nuts, and vanilla extract. Pour into the prebaked crust and return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

　　

Step 4

Important note: place the tart pan on a baking sheet before placing in the oven. This will prevent the caramel from dripping inside your oven and make it easier to remove the hot tart from the oven.

　　

Step 5

Cool the tart to room temperature, then refrigerate for 4 or more hours. It will look a bit gooey at first, but the caramel hardens when refrigerated. When the tart has set, carefully cut out wedges, remembering to peel off the parchment paper. This tart is difficult to remove as a whole from the pan because of the hardened caramel topping, so you’ll need to cut it into individual pieces to serve. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.