Chocolate Rum Tart with Toasted Coconut Crust

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A New Orleans grande-dame dessert brought home: a crisp toasted-coconut cookie crust pressed into a tart pan, filled with a dark chocolate ganache spiked with dark rum and coffee liqueur, chilled until sliceable, and crowned with vanilla Chantilly. It tastes like the frozen Bushwacker cocktail turned into a fork dessert — no candy thermometer, no tempering, just good chocolate and patience in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 6 oz chocolate wafer cookies or graham crackers (about 1 1/2 cups crumbs)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate (60–70%), finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 2 tbsp coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp dark rum (optional)
• 2 tbsp reserved toasted coconut
• flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Spread the shredded coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 6 to 9 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until it is evenly light golden and smells nutty. Watch closely at the end — it goes from tan to burnt in under a minute. Cool completely and reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.
2. Pulse the cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs (about 1 1/2 cups). Add the remaining toasted coconut, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse 5 or 6 times to chop the coconut into the crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand and clumps when squeezed. No processor? Crush the cookies in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, chop the coconut by hand, and stir everything together.
3. Dump the crumbs into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press firmly up the sides first, then across the base, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup to compact it into an even 1/4-inch layer. A tight, dense press is what keeps the crust from crumbling when you slice.
4. Bake the crust at 325°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until it is set, fragrant, and just slightly darker at the edges. Cool completely on a rack, at least 30 minutes. The crust must be room temperature or cooler before filling.
5. Put the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the 1 1/4 cups cream with the corn syrup and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium heat until it steams and small bubbles ring the edge, about 3 minutes — do not let it boil hard.
6. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 3 minutes. Then, starting in the center with a small whisk or spatula, stir in slow tight circles, gradually working outward, until the ganache is completely smooth and glossy. Resist whisking vigorously; you want no air bubbles.
7. Stir in the rum and coffee liqueur, then add the butter a few cubes at a time, stirring until each addition disappears. The ganache should look satiny and thick enough to coat a spoon. If it looks grainy or split, whisk in 1 tablespoon of warm cream to bring it back together.
8. Pour the ganache into the cooled crust and tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to level the surface and release bubbles. Pop any stubborn bubbles with a toothpick. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes, then cover loosely and chill at least 3 more hours, or overnight, until fully set and firm to a light touch.
9. Just before serving, whip the 1 cup cold cream with the powdered sugar, vanilla, and optional 1 teaspoon rum on medium-high speed to soft-to-medium peaks, 2 to 3 minutes — stop while the peaks still slump slightly. Spoon or pipe dollops over the tart, or serve alongside each slice.
10. Remove the tart ring by setting the pan on a can and letting the ring drop away. Shower with the reserved toasted coconut and a pinch of flaky salt. Slice with a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts, and let slices sit 10 minutes at room temperature before eating so the ganache softens to a truffle texture.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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