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Tarte de Saint-emilion au chocolat
Serves 8-12 Desserts and puddings
Ingredients
- 200g plain flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 120g chilled butter, cut into cubes
- 2tbsp caster sugar
- 2 egg yolks, mixed with 2tsp
- cold water
For the filling:
- 250g plain dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into small pieces
- 250ml double cream
- 2 eggs, separated
- 5tbsp caster sugar
- 100g hard macaroons, such as ratafia or amaretti
- 3tbsp brandy
To serve:
- chocolate curls or grated chocolate
- sifted cocoa powder
- thick pouring cream
Method
Put the flour, almonds and ¼tsp salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse together. add the butter, pulse to make fine crumbs and mix in the sugar.add the egg yolk and water mixture while the machine is running and continue to pulse until it clumps together. tip onto a sheet of cling film, flatten out a little and chill for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven 200˚C/390˚f/ Gas 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat. roll out the pastry and use to line the tin. Prick the base with a fork and put in the freezer for 10 minutes. line with baking paper cut to fit up the sides, weigh down with baking beans and bake for 20 minutes. remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes. remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 140˚C/285˚f/Gas 1.
Put the cream and chocolate in a medium bowl and sit it over a smaller pan of barely simmering water for 5 minutes. don’t let the bowl touch the water. remove the bowl, leave for a few minutes and stir until smooth. Cool the mixture for 10 minutes.
Put the egg whites into a medium bowl and whisk to soft peaks, then gradually add 3tbsp sugar, whisking between each addition to make meringue. Put the egg yolks into a smaller bowl with the rest of the sugar and whisk until thick and creamy. fold the yolk mixture into the chocolate, followed by the meringue mixture. Gently fold in with a large metal spoon until it is an even colour.
Pour the brandy over the hard macaroons and soak for 5 minutes. Spread half the chocolate mixture over the base of the tart case and roughly break in the macaroons. Spoon over the rest of the chocolate mixture. Bake for 15 minutes – if it is still wobbly in the centre don’t worry, put to cool and firm up on a wire rack. Chill for 1 hour before serving or store in the fridge until serving. remove from the tin, top with chocolate curls and dust with cocoa powder. Cut into slices and serve with thick pouring cream.
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