The good humoured and talented David Lebovitz is host to this month's Sugar High Friday, naturally he has chosen the theme of
Chocolate, Chocolate by
Brand to be more precise!
I chose to use New Zealand's "Whittakers - 62% Dark Cacao" and
why?
Well firstly because I'm a teensy bit poor! Hey, I'm a home-schooling Mum!
I'd love to use (try!) Valrhona, however to purchase a 250 gram
bar in New Zealand would sting me over 15% of our family's budget for the whole week. This budget, which
from a single mediocre income needs to cover 84 servings, (7 days x 3 meals x 4 people!) not to mention feeding our
several four legged fluffy friends and any extra chemist supplies, alcohol, emergency coffee stops, hehe! I need along
the way... hear my plight?! Anyhow Whittakers is a great product and the best quality product affordable to me.
Secondly Whittakers is a New Zealand brand, a Kiwi company and I'm a very proud Kiwi and I try very hard to buy
locally and especially Kiwi made.
Likewise why I also chose to use Equagold another Kiwi company and their Premium Dutch Cocoa.
This moist, rich and delicious tart needs little fuss to serve. A slight dusting of cocoa gives it an elegant and
luxurious touch, and a handful of raspberries is just the perfect fresh and slighty tart accompaniment.
- Chocolate Custard Tart
-
- Chocolate Pastry
- 60 grams of butter
- 60 grams of caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 30 grams of Whittakers 62% Dark Cacao, melted and cooled
- 125 grams of plain white flour
- 1 tablespoon of Equagold's Premium Dutch Cocoa powder, plus extra to dust
- Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, fold through the egg and cooled melted chocolate.
- Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix to form a smooth soft dough, don't be afraid if the dough feels too
soft, it's meant to be like this.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 190°C (370°F).
- Lightly grease a loose bottom 22cm tart pan.
- On a lightly floured piece of baking parchment or silicon paper roll out the dough just large enough to line the
tart pan.
- Very carefully flip the pastry into the tart pan and press up the sides, trimming the edge neatly.
- Return to the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Place the pan onto a baking tray and dock the base slightly with a fork.
- Blind bake the pastry by lining with more baking parchment paper and filling with pastry weights or uncooked
rice.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove the pastry weights and bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F).
For sealing the base
60 grams of Whittakers 62% Dark Cacao, melted
- Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the tart base with this 60 grams of chocolate.
- Custard Filling
-
- 275 mls of cream
- 50 mls of full cream milk
- 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scrapped
- 140 grams of Whittakers 62% Cacao, melted
- 2 eggs
- 100 grams of caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- Place the cream, milk and vanilla bean with it's scrapped seeds in a saucepan and just bring to the
boil.
- Strain the hot cream mixture over 140 grams of melted chocolate and stir until smooth, discarding the vanilla
pod.
- In a bowl whisk the eggs and caster sugar together, then combine with the chocolate cream mixture, strain once more
into separate bowl with lip or pouring jug.
- With the tart pan on a baking sheet and on the middle oven shelf pulled out, carefully pour the filling mixture
into the pastry shell.
- Carefully ease the shelf back in and bake the tart for 30 minutes.
- The filling will wobble a little, but sets in the pan.
- Cool the flan to room temperature and dust with extra cocoa powder.
- Serve with a handful of raspberries and a little whipped cream if desired.
- Serves 8 to 10.
Enjoy!
|
