Posts Tagged ‘tart’

Tart for tart’s sake

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

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ingredients ready to make chocolate tart with mocha ganache

Regular readers will know that we’re quite partial to a chocolate cake or tart.

bowl of broken dark chocolate pieces and coffee granules

Justin demanded asked very nicely if I would make the chocolate mocha ganache tart that appeared before our eyes in Stella magazine recently.

chocolate ganache mix in vintage T G Green bowl with whisk

It was quite a lengthy procedure, but I like baking so it wasn’t too great a hardship.

finished chocolate tart with mocha ganache

Also, having just sampled the first slice, I can confirm that it was well worth the effort!

detail of finished chocolate tart with mocha ganache

It has an exquisite, subtle coffee flavour and beautiful smooth texture.

slice of chocolate tart with mocha ganache on a vintage Denby Arabesque plate

We’ve got a couple of friends coming over for a bite to eat later – we might give them a small piece!

Recipe: Serves 6 generously

For the pastry:

  • 175g (6oz) butter, softened
  • 150g (5½oz) icing sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 350g (12oz) flour
  • 50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
  • 40g (1½oz) cocoa powder

For the ganache:

  • 125ml (4fl oz) milk
  • 2 tbsp coffee beans, whole
  • 65g (2½oz) sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 tbs instant coffee
  • 275g (9½oz) dark chocolate, 66% cocoa solids, broken into small pieces
  • 225ml (8fl oz) double cream
  • 2½ tbsp cocoa powder

In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle (I used the K-beater), combine the butter with the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a spatula. Slowly add the dry ingredients until blended. Wrap in clingfilm for 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4. Lightly flour the work surface and roll the pastry into a circle 3mm (⅛in) thick. Transfer to a loose-bottomed 25cm (10in) tart tin. Line with paper and baking beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 4 minutes. Leave to cool.

In a small saucepan bring the milk and coffee beans to a simmer, remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. In a heatproof bowl whisk the sugar and egg yolks to combine. Put the instant coffee and chocolate in a separate heatproof bowl. Strain the milk and discard the beans. Return the milk to the pan, add the cream and bring to a simmer. Pour the hot milk on to the egg yolks in a very thin stream, whisking continuously. Return the mixture to the pan and place over a low heat. Cook gently but don’t allow it to simmer, stirring until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Immediately pour this into the bowl of chocolate, and stir to melt. In a small pan simmer 100ml (3½fl oz) water with the cocoa powder to dissolve it. Whisk it into the ganache.

Pour the ganache into the tart shell and chill for at least three hours to set. Once cold, slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

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What a Tart!

Friday, March 5th, 2010

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slice of chocolate and salted caramel tart on vintage 'Aztec' plate with matching cup & saucer

Last week I watched the first episode (which was all about chocolate) of Raymond Blanc’s new series on BBC 2, Kitchen Secrets. The programme reminded me of a chocolate & salted caramel tart recipe that I’d torn out from a recent Telegraph Stella weekend magazine. It turned out so well and tasted so delectable that I thought I’d share it with you!

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Chocolate & salted caramel tart

Yield: serves 8

Chocolate & salted caramel tart

Ingredients

  • For the pastry
  • 300g/10½oz plain flour
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 150g/5½oz butter
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp water
  • For the caramel
  • 250g/9 oz golden granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 100ml/3½ fl oz single cream
  • 125g/4½oz salted butter, melted
  • ½ tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to decorate
  • For the chocolate filling
  • 125/4½oz good quality dark chocolate, broken into chunks
  • 85g/3oz butter
  • 1 egg plus 2 yolks
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar

Instructions

  1. To make the pastry, put the flour, cocoa and butter into a food processor and whiz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and whiz again. Mix the egg yolk with the water and add that. Process again until the mixture comes together in a ball. You may need to add a little more water. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a deep 24cm (9 in) tart tin with a removable base. Carefully trim the excess from the rim and keep to patch up any holes later on. Put in the fridge or freezer to chill until firm. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6.
  2. To make the caramel, put the sugar and water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat slowly so that the sugar dissolves. Once it has, turn up the heat and boil until the syrup turns to caramel – you will know by the smell and colour. Be careful not to take it too far and burn it. Once it has reached the caramel stage, stir in the cream – stand back as it will hiss and spit – and the butter. Add the salt and stir to help everything to melt and blend. Leave to cool.
  3. Prick the base of the tart case, line with greaseproof paper or foil and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 12 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and leave to cool a little. Pour in the caramel. Turn down the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.
  4. To make the filling, melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove and leave to cool a little. Whisk the eggs and sugar using an electric beater until the mixture is light and fluffy and has increased in volume. Stir in the chocolate and butter. Pour over the caramel and put in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes. Leave until cool enough to handle, then carefully remove the rim and put the tart on a plate. Decorate with a very light scattering of sea salt flakes and serve.
http://hisforhomeblog.com/cookery/what-a-tart/

chocolate and salted caramel tart with one slice removed

It’s incredibly rich – you won’t need a big slice – a dollop of crème fraîche makes a perfect accompaniment.

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Berry Delicious!

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Our berry picking has started early this year. We were out gathering bilberries at the weekend. They love acid soil and are found on low-growing bushes in the surrounding area. The berries are small and picking them is quite time consuming – but, be patient, they’re well worth the effort!

We put some in the freezer for future jam making and used the rest of our crop to make this bilberry custard tart. Here’s the recipe:

You’ll need to collect about 225g/8oz bilberries. Remove stalks and stray leaves and rinse in a sieve. Dry carefully on some kitchen towel (Don’t use a tea towel unless you don’t mind it getting stained purple).

Shortcrust pastry
125g/4oz plain flour
pinch of salt
55g/2oz butter, cubed
30-45ml/2-3 tbsp cold water
(or you can buy a pack of ready-made in the chilled section of most supermarkets)

  • Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter
  • Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining
  • using a knife, stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together
  • wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill for 10-15 minutes before rolling out
  • flour the table and roll out the pastry to about 1/2cm thick and 25cm/10inches in diameter (or large enough to fit over the dish you’re using)
  • carefully lift the pastry and lay it over your dish, moulding it to the bottom & sides
  • cut off any excess bits using a sharp knife
  • pour in the fresh bilberries

Custard
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
475ml/1pt milk
55g/2oz caster sugar

  • heat the milk gently in a pan
  • whisk the eggs & egg yolks
  • slowly add the milk to the egg mixture whisking continuously (make sure the milk’s not too hot or the eggs will scramble!)
  • pour the mixture carefully through a sieve on to the bilberries in the dish

Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Cook the flan for 45 minutes or until the top begins to brown nicely. When cool sprinkle a tablespoon of caster sugar over the top.

The tart looks fabulous with the deep purple juice seeping into the creamy custard…

…and it tasted good too!

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