
I have a friend who loves Almond Joy candy bars. She is not much a sweet eater, but these are her secret indulgence. So I look for fun ways to recreate those flavors in a more celebratory, and maybe a little more sophisticated, treat. I hope you get the title of the recipe now, because I am pretty sure there is a trademark on the original and I don’t want to get in trouble! This is basically a giant coconut macaroon filled with rich chocolate ganache, and really what could be wrong with that. This dessert is easy to make but has a huge pay-off in flavor and creativity. And some scope for decoration. I like toasted almond slices and a little sprinkle of coconut, but you could easily do some whipped cream rosettes topped with a chocolate covered almond, or those large, shaved flakes of coconut.
Beat the egg whites for the crust not whipped or stiff, just opaque and thick. I use may clean hands sometimes to help mix in the coconut – you want all of it thoroughly combined with the egg white mixture. Spray a tart paan really well with cooking spray, this is a sticky mixture. Press it in with your hands over the bottom and up the sides. Slightly wetting your hands can help. Then press it into a tight crust using the flat bottom of a glass or a measuring cup. When you bake it, look for browned edges and a dry appearance (you will see what I mean when you are cooking it), not a damp or shiny look. The filling is 3 ingredients, so I try to use the best I can for all of them – don’t use chips, they don’t melt as smoothly, but a nice bar of chocolate broken into small pieces. I like Guittard or Ghiradelli. Heat the cream until it is just steaming and little bubbles form all over on the top, then pour it over the chocolate and let it sit to soften. Stir it well until everything is smooth. Make sure the butter is at room temperature first or nothing will melt nicely. Let the tart soften just a little before slicing. You can run a knife under hot water to warm the blade, wipe it off, then slice.

Ingredients
- For the Crust
2 egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
1 (14-ounce) package of sweetened shredded coconut (about 3 cups)
- For the Filling
½ cup slivered almonds
12 ounces semisweet chocolate bars for baking
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes and at room temperature
Directions
- For the Crust
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Beat the egg whites with a fork in a medium bowl until opaque, add the sugar, almond extract and salt and beat until well combined. Add the coconut and mix until well combined and moist throughout (you can reserve a small handful of coconut to decorate the top of the tart). Spray a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. Dump the coconut mixture in the pan and press it evenly over the body and up the sides. Use the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup to press it into a tight layer. Bake for 25- 30 minutes until lightly browned, rotating the pan every 10 minutes. The edges will brown and the bottom will toast lightly. The surface all over should appear dry, not shiny. Remove from the oven to cool completely.
- For the Filling
- Toast the slivered almonds in a dry skillet until lightly browned and toasted. Transfer to a plate to cool (if you leave them in the pan they will continue to cook). Break the chocolate into small pieces into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium high heat until it is bubbling all over – not boiling, but steaming hot and just beginning to bubble. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to sit for 5 minutes. Add the butter cubes, then stir with a heat proof spatula until completely melted and smooth. Really stir it until everything is smooth. Pour the chocolate into the cooled crust. Smooth the top, popping any air bubbles on the surface. Use the almond to decoratively border the tart, and some coconut if you like. Transfer the tart to the fridge to chill. When cooled through, cover with plastic wrap or foil for up to a day. Take from the fridge and let soften about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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