Upside-down fudge-almond tart

I was in a chocolate mood today so I decided to make this decadent and rich upside-down fudge-almond tart. Perfect for parties, holidays, or just a special treat after dinner.

Upside-Down Fudge-Almond Tart 

Recipe from Cooking Light

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Yield: one 9 inch tart, 10 servings per tart

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 tbsp unsalted butter

2 1/4 oz all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)

3 tbsp sifted Dutch process cococa

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

6 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp golden cane syrup

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set oven rack to lowest third of oven.
2. Coat a 9 inch round removable bottom tart pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle almonds in pan. 
3. Combine chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside. 
4. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
5. Place eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until thick and pale. Gradually add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating at medium speed 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add golden cane syrup and vanilla; beat on low speed 1 minutes or until blended. Add chocolate mixture; beat 1 minutes or until blended. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed just until combined.
6. Pour batter over nuts into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake in lower third of oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool tart in pan 20 minutes on wire rack. Invert tart onto a serving platter.

Nutritional Analysis:
per serving: 281 calories, 19.8g fat (7.7g saturated, 2.1g polyunsaturated, 8.1g monounsaturated), 24.6g carbohydrates, 2.7g fiber, 5.9g protein

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

For an impressive dessert, this is actually very easy to make. Although the recipe says to use coarsely chopped almonds I though sliced would be better for the presentation. Toast in the oven at 350 for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. 

For the chocolate, I took a shortcut and microwaved the butter with the chocolate. Heat up the mixture for 20 seconds and stir together. Heat for about 15 seconds, stir and the chocolate should be ready. 

In order to make this tart you will need either a kitchen aid stand mixer or the hand held mixers. For the golden cane syrup, I substituted this for equal parts honey and corn syrup. You can also use 2 parts corn syrup with 1 part molasses. Molasses, light corn syrup, and dark corn syrup can also be used; however, these are not as sweet as cane syrup and the consistency is thinner. 

Pour the batter in the pan and spread evenly. The batter is thick so it may be difficult to spread it without getting some almonds in your way. Make sure to make it as even as possible since the finished tart will look exactly as you prepare it right before baking. 

Once the tart is cooled, an easy way to invert it is to place a plate on top of the tart. Place one hand on the tart and the other hand on the plate and carefully flip the two other. Voila! 

This tart is exactly as it sounds and delivers on its name. It's rich and intensely chocolaty. At first I wished the tart was higher, but after tasting the richness, you can see why it is on the flatter side. Serve with a cold glass of milk or dark cup of coffee. Perfect for chocolate lovers!