Chocolate Easter Tart

This is a really lovely simple chocolate tart. The filling is rich and gooey and so simple as it’s cooked on the hob. Once the pastry base is baked you just pour in the filling and leave to chill.

Serves 12

Ingredients

Chocolate Pastry

• 150g Plain Flour

• 3 tbsp. icing sugar

• 50g cocoa powder

• 100g unsalted butter- cold and cut into small dice

• 1 egg yolk

• ½ tsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp. cold water

Filling

• 225mk full fat milk

• 450ml Double cream

• 240g soft dark brown sugar

• 3 tbsp. cocoa powder

• 45g cornflour

• 120g Dark Chocolate – I use Bourneville or a 40% cocoa solid

• 60g unsalted butter

To decorate mini chocolate eggs and icing sugar

Method

1. Sieve the flour, icing sugar and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and using your fingers rub until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice and water and bring the mixture together to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Heat your oven to 200c/gas 6.

3. Once the pastry has rested, dust your work surface with flour. Roll out the pastry to approximately 3mm thick and use it to line a 25cm tart tin. Leave any excess pastry overhanging the edge of the tin. Prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry case with baking parchment then fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake blind for 15minutes, then remove the parchment and baking beans and return to the oven for a further 8 -10 minutes until the pastry is dry and cooked through. Using a small knife trim away any excess pastry from the edge. Leave the base to cool completely..

4. To make the filling place put the milk, cream, sugar, cocoa powder, cornflour, chocolate and butter into a saucepan. Set the pan on a medium heat and using a whisk stir until the chocolate and butter have melted and you have a smooth glossy and thick mixture. This will take around 10 minutes. Don not rush and have the heat too hot as it can burn the chocolate.

5. Pour the mixture into the cooled tart case. Cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool then place in the fridge to set.

6. Remove from the fridge for 2 hours before serving. This allows the filling to soften and come to room temperature. Decorate with mini chocolate eggs and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve with cream.