This decadent chocolate tart makes the perfect Easter treat. Once you’ve made the pastry case, it’s plain-sailing too because the filling doesn’t need cooking – it simply requires a couple of hours in the fridge to set.
For this recipe, I used Green & Blacks 70% dark chocolate, which sets beautifully and ensures a rich and not-too-sweet chocolate filling. For the pastry, I included a considerable quantity of icing sugar to make it shorter, lighter and crispier, a lovely contrast to the smooth and indulgent chocolate filling. I normally bake shortcrust tart cases blind at 180C but reduced this to 160C as the icing sugar content in this recipe can cause the pastry to brown much quicker around the edges so it’s better if you cook it at a slightly lower temperature.
Serves 6-8
For the pastry
225g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
80g icing sugar
2 eggs yolks (reserve the whites)
1 tbsp milk
For the chocolate filling
200g good quality 70% dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped
50g butter, chopped
300ml double cream
50ml milk
40g light brown muscovado sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
To garnish
Mini chocolate eggs, easter chicks, chocolate bunnies…
- For the pastry, blitz the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor still running, add the egg yolks and the milk until the dough starts to come together.
- Alternatively, sift the flour into a mixing bowl then add the butter. Gently rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar. Beat the egg yolks then add to the flour mixture along with the milk. Stir briefly until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring together to form a ball then flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 160C fan / Gas mark 4
- Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, gently pushing the pastry down into the corners to prevent shrinkage. Trim the edges. (Any leftover pastry can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.)
- Chill for 10 minutes or until firm then line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans and brush the pastry case with egg white. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
- To make the chocolate filling, put the chopped chocolate and butter in a mixing bowl. Put the cream, milk, muscovado sugar and vanilla extract into a saucepan, bring to boiling point and remove from the heat.
- Whisk briefly to ensure the sugar has dissolved and pour on top of the chopped chocolate and butter. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Pour into the cooled pastry case and transfer to the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- Decorate with mini chocolate eggs and serve.
Tip
Run the knife under very hot water before slicing the tart. This will give lovely, neat edges to the slices.
