Recipe: Chocolate, Strawberry and Pistachio Tart

Do not be deceived, this tart may look really fancy but let me tell you that it is the most foolproof tart recipe ever. Also once you have your pastry case baked and filled with the chocolate filling, the possibilities for different flavours and toppings are endless.

For example I thought that this could also look and taste great with salted caramel sauce swirled through the chocolate filling and then topped off with salty popcorn and more caramel sauce. Or you could always use melted white chocolate swirled in through the chocolate filling and then top it off with raspberries and then grated white chocolate. The list could go on!

I have made this pastry tonnes of time in the past and it has always served me well. The chocolate filling is actually one of Jamie Oliver’s recipes and it turned out so smooth and shiny once it had set. What I would say is that this tart is very rich and not for dark chocolate haters!

Prep Time: 3 hours, but the majority of this time is for chilling so don’t be put off!

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

For the Pastry:

200g plain flour

Pinch of salt

100g Unsalted butter, softened

50g Caster sugar

1 Medium egg

Few drops of vanilla extract

For the Filling:

300ml Double Cream

2 tsp Caster Sugar

50g Unsalted Butter, softened

200g 70% Dark Chocolate , broken into small pieces

50ml Whole Milk

For the Top…

A Punnet of Strawberries

A Handful of Pistachios

Method:

1.Set the oven to 180°C/ 350 F/ Gas Mark 4.

2. To make the pastry…Measure out all of your ingredients then sieve the flour, caster sugar and salt into a bowl. Cut your butter into chunks then add it to the flour and salt.

3. Now rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then add the egg and vanilla extract. Use a knife to mix all the ingredients together until it starts to come together. Then use your hand to bring the rest of the mixture together into a ball.

4. Place your ball of pastry into a freezer bag and put it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

5. Once your pastry is chilled, roll it out and place it in your pastry tin and prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.

6. Now put it back in to the fridge in the pastry case to chill for a further 15 minutes.

7. Take the pasty out of the fridge. Then place a sheet of baking parchment on top of your pastry and scatter baking beans or rice to weigh the pastry down

8. Bake like this for 15 minutes then lift out the parchment paper and return your pastry case to the oven for a further 10 minutes until it goes golden brown. One it reaches this stage you can take it out, leave it to cool and make a start on your filling!

9. To make the filling… Put the cream, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat as soon as the mixture boils up and then add the butter and chocolate. Stir until combined.

10. Now stir in the milk and keep stirring till shiny. Now pour into the tart shell and leave at room temperature for 2 hours to set.

11. Once the filling has set you can the top it with sliced strawberries and chopped pistachios!