By: Marc Povey – Turks & Caicos Aggressor II
Approximately 4 1/2 cups of unsalted Pecans
8 oz. cream cheese or mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup confectionary sugar
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3-4 oz. heavy cream
1 stick + 4 Tbls. whole unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Crust: Grind pecans in a food processor until med-fine, in a medium bowl add the sugar and mix until the nuts are coated. Next, melt the stick of butter and add until the nut and sugar mixture can be molded with your hands. Spray your tort pan or spring form pan with vegetable spray and form a crust with the nuts, building the sides using the sand castle wall technique. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. (about 15-20 minutes) Freeze.
While the crust is freezing, melt chocolate, the remaining butter, and heavy cream in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Filling: Mix the cream cheese or mascarpone with the confectionary sugar and 2 tsp. of vanilla extract in a Kitchen Aid or electric hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
Remove crust from freezer and spread evenly the cheese filling inside the crust, about a 1/4 inch thick….or so. Finally, ladle the ganache over the filling until completely covering the white filling, let set in the refrigerator. Remove about 10-20 minute prior to serving.
