French Chocolate Tart
This is decadent, rich and velvety in texture. You can turn this into quite an impressive creation by garnishing with chocolate shards.
Please note the short cooking time. It does come out of the oven looking uncooked, but it will set once refrigerated.
Sweet Short Pastry
200g butter, softened
150g icing sugar
2 eggs
325g plain flour, sifted
75g Dutch coco
Cream butter and icing sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the flour. Remove from the food processor and knead until well combined. Pat the dough into a ball, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
Filling
300g 71% dark chocolate, broken
200g butter
3 eggs
5 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
2tspn vanilla
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Line a 25 cm tart tin with the pastry, then cover with tin foil, pushing the foil into the edges of the tin. Refrigerate for 20 minutes then bake at 190 0c for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes. The shell should be cooked through, not crumbly or dry.
Place the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl set over a saucepan of hot water ensuring that the bowl does not touch the water. Melt the chocolate and butter, remove and set aside to allow to cool.
In a seperate bowl whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar until just thick and creamy. Fold in the cooled chocolate mix and vanilla, then pour into the pre-baked shell.
Bake at 140 0c for 15 minutes only. Allow to cool before refrigerating.
Decorate with a dusting of coco and or chocolate shards.
Chocolate shards
200g dark chocolate
200g white chocolate
In seperate bowls over saucepans of boiling water melt the chocolates.
Line a large flat tray with baking paper. Spread the tray with the slightly cooled white chocolate, then drizzle over the dark chocolate. Fold the paper and chocolate onto itself and then peel apart to make a swirled textured look. Set in the refrigerator, then break up and use to decorate the tart.