THE FIRST POST IS UP! Finally. A Christmas gift from me to me. You (probably) don’t know how frustrating it can be locating the missing semi-colon in a website’s code, but I wouldn’t exactly recommend it as a Christmas activity.
If any recipe can be called my go-to recipe of 2019 it has to be this one. Last year I set out to find the perfect chocolate tart and the journey started and ended with this recipe, and because it’s the sweet combo of fairly simple but supremely tasty it has followed me everywhere. Guests over? Chocolate Tart. Birthday gift? Chocolate Tart. Sunday treat? Chocolate Tart. It is exactly what I think a chocolate tart should be: rich, smooth, chocolatey. No frills nor unnecessary add-ons. It just doesn’t need it.
(Makes one large tart: 27cm diameter tart pan)
The Crust
- 175g plain flour
- Large pinch of salt
- 100g cubed unsalted butter
- 1Tbs cocoa powder
- 60g icing sugar
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- Sift half the flour and the salt into a mixing bowl
- Blend in the butter with your fingertips until crumbly
- Sift in the cocoa powder, icing sugar, and remaining flour
- Crumb together with your hands until just combined
- Mix in the egg until just combined. The trick to a crumbly tart case that does not lose shape in the oven is to work quickly and keep the mixing to a minimum.
- Flatten into a rough disk, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least an hour until firm
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and butter the tart tin
- Roll out the dough onto a sheet of baking paper until large enough to cover the tart tin easily, or until around 2.5mm thick.
- Flip the sheet into the tart tin, allowing the pastry to drape over the edge of the tin
- Remove the parchment, press the pastry into the pan and fold over the edge of the pan, again taking care not to work the pastry more than necessary
- Prick the base with a fork
- Crumple up the baking paper and place into the tart crust
- Fill with baking beans, particularly making sure the baking beans hold the sides of the tart
- Bake for 10-15 minutes
- Remove baking beans and baking paper and bake crust for another 10 minutes until the base is dry and almost baked
- Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the crust along the pan edge
The Filling
- 280g dark chocolate (55%)
- 230ml heavy/double cream
- 140ml whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 100g sugar
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Reduce oven temperature to 120 degrees Celsius
- Chop the chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl
- In a saucepan, heat the cream and milk until just boiling
- Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth
- To make a sabayon, combine the eggs and sugar on a double boiler and beat for a few minutes until hot and fluffy
- Remove bowl from heat and keep beating for 8 minutes until cool and fluffy
- Fold the sabayon into the chocolate one third at a time
- Pour the filling into the pastry crust and bake for 13 minutes. It will appear as though it is not yet done when removed from the oven
- Allow the tart to cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 3 hours until set
- Dust with cocoa power and serve. Alternatively, you may choose to stencil on a decorative design using dried raspberry powder or similar.
