Chocolate pastry tart recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (200 g) plain/all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ cup (60 g) icing/confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• generous ¼ cup (30 g) cocoa powder
• 1 stick (100 g) minus 1 tbsp cold salted butter, coarsely chopped
• 2 egg yolks

• 7 oz blackcurrants or pitted cherries (optional)
• 2 tbsp caster/granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup (150 ml) creme de cassis
• 1½ tsp cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 1½ tsp water

• scant ⅔ cup minus 2 tsp (125 g) caster/granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (40 g) roasted hazelnuts, warmed in a low oven
• 1–2 pinches sea salt

1. For the chocolate pastry, blend the flour, icing/confectioners’ sugar and cocoa in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then add the egg yolks and process to combine. Turn out onto a work surface and bring the pastry together with the heel of your hand. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3-mm/⅛inch thick and line the tart pan, trimming the edges. Chill for 1 hour more.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
4. Line the chilled pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and baking beans and bake for a further 8 minutes until dry and crisp. Leave the tart case to cool completely.
5. To make the poached berries, place the fruit in a saucepan with the sugar and crème de cassis over a low heat for 3–5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Stir through the cornflour/cornstarch mixture and heat through until the fruit is coated in sticky syrup. Leave to cool and then refrigerate until needed.
6. To make the salted hazelnut praline, stir together the sugar and 60 ml/¼cup water in a saucepan over a medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals and simmer without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, for 8–12 minutes until the mixture turns into a rich caramel. Stir in the warm nuts, then tip the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet (be careful, as the caramel will be very hot) and set aside for 20–25 minutes until set. Break into pieces, then process to coarse crumbs in a food processor.
7. For the crème Chantilly, whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl until soft peaks form; refrigerate until required.
8. To assemble the tart, swirl the ricotta with the melted chocolate and crème Chantilly and dollop into the pastry case. Remove the tart from the pan and top with the poached berries and praline.