That Little Tart!!

The recipe for this chocolate tart is a gem that I got many years ago from my beautiful bestie Aims (a truly wonderful cook). The pastry is light and not too sweet and the filling is a moist fudgey chocolate that just melts in your mouth.

Ingredients

1 quantity pastry (see below)

Filling

150gm butter
30gm plain chocolate, chopped
6 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp instant coffee powder
3 eggs
250gm caster sugar
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract (essence will do fine)

Method

1. Allow the pastry to come to room temperature. Knead it briefly then roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Use the pastry to line the prepared tin, rolling it out quite thin. Chill the pastry shell while preparing the filling.

Hot Tip: make sure that the pastry is rolled nice and thin, if the pastry is too thick the tart becomes dry.

2. Put a baking sheet in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 180 degree (fan forced).

3. For the filling, gently melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, cocoa powder and coffee, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Set aside.

4. Beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is creamy and blended, then add the soured cream, golden syrup and vanilla extract. Stir in the chocolate and butter mixture.

5. Pour the filling into the pastry shell. Bake on the hot baking sheet in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling puffs up and forms a crust. Remove the pie to a wire rack to cool. The filling will sink a little and may crack slightly as it cools.

6. Before serving, decorate the pie. A dusting of icing sugar and a fanned strawberry is an impressive but simple adornment.

Tart tin size: 3.5 cm deep, 23cm diameter, loose base flan tin, greased.
Storage: keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator

Hot Tip: I recommend serving it with a velvety smooth ice cream or cream to complete the chocolate hit. In this picture I've varied the recipe a little and made individual tarts. The pastry quantity makes about 18 tart cases and the filling is enough to fill at least 24 tarts. Alternatively you can make one large tart and some smaller individual ones.

Pastry

Ingredients

190gm plain flour, sifted
2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
100gm chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp iced water

Method

1. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Blend the egg yolk with the water and fork it lightly into the mixture until it sticks together.

Hot Tip: Its very easy to make this pastry in a food processor. Add all the dry ingredients and blitz. Then add the butter small amounts at a time, followed by the egg and water.

2. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry and line the flan tin. Chill while making the filling.



I'd love to hear your hints and tips for making this tart a success or any variations you come up with........ NOW Go Get Your Bake On!!!!