Lemon & White Chocolate Tarts

TIER 2

Lemon & White Chocolate Tart

For Tier 2, we use the same lemon filling as Tier 1, but instead of baking it we cook it like a curd. It sits on top of an almond mirliton, with a secret layer of zingy lemon confit, topped with a stunning white chocolate namelaka which is piped using a basket weave nozzle. Because we cook the lemon filling like a curd, it has a slightly softer texture, more like a cremeux which contrasts all the textures in the tart really well.

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

White Chocolate Namelaka
3g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 18g Cold Water OR 1 Sheet of Leaf Gelatin
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose or Honey
185g White Chocolate, Melted
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

Lemon Confit
8g Lemon Zest
130g Lemon Juice
65g Caster/White Sugar

Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Zest ½ Lemon
50g Egg Yolk
200g Plain, All Purpose Flour 

Egg Wash
40g Egg Yolk
10g Double/Heavy Cream

Lemon Filling
80g Whole Eggs
60g Egg Yolks
115g Caster/ White Sugar
100g Double/Heavy Cream
3g Lemon Zest
75g Lemon Juice
20g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (Optional)

Roasted Almond Mirliton
105g Unsalted Butter
85g Roasted Almond Powder
85g Icing/Powdered Sugar
110g Egg Whites
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod
Zest ½ Lemon

Special equipment

Hand blender
Stand mixer
2 silicon mats (optional)
4 4-inch perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter (optional)
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
Basket weave nozzle
Rotating cake stand (optional)

Method

White Chocolate Namelaka

1. Into a small dish, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes at room temperature. If using leaf gelatin, soak this in a bowl of cold water.

2. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and then set this to one side.

3. Meanwhile, add the milk and glucose/honey to a small saucepan. Stir it occasionally over a medium heat, until it is steaming and the glucose has dissolved.

4. Scoop in the bloom gelatin (or squeeze the excess water from the leaf gelatin and drop this in). Stir it together until the gelatin has completely dissolved.

5. Pour the hot milk mixture over the melted white chocolate in three parts, stirring in tight circles in the centre with a rubber spatula, to emulsify the mixture. Initially it will look slightly split but it will pull together.

6. Finally, pour in the cold cream and blend it with a hand blender, until smooth. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 6 hours. 

Lemon Confit

1. Add the lemon zest into a small saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring the mixture to the boil, then immediately pass it through a sieve. Repeat this two more times, to remove the bitterness from the zest.

2. Add the blanched zest, lemon juice and sugar into a saucepan, and note the total weight of the ingredients in the pan, on a digital scale. 

3. Place the pan on a medium low heat, and simmer until the total weight of the pan has reduced by around 100g. 

4. Pour the mixture into a small dish, covered with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. 

Lemon Sweet Pastry

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the paddle attachment, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, scraping it down a few times in between, until you have a smooth paste.

2. Add in the egg yolks, and beat again, until the mixture is evenly combined, you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times again.

3. Tip in the flour, and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter doesn’t get stuck. Scrape the sides, and then mix on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough.

4. Scoop the dough out onto your work surface, and give it a quick knead just to bring it together. 

5. Place the dough onto a large silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible (around 3-5mm). If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30m.

7. Once chilled, remove it from the freezer and working quickly, peel the silicon mat off of the dough. Take 2 of the 4” perforated ring molds (very lightly greased with soft butter) and press these into the dough. 

8. Lift them up and place them onto a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat.

9. Using a multi-wheel pastry cutter (or a ruler and a sharp knife) cut 2 long strips of dough, ensuring the width is slightly more than the height of your tart shells. Take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring, using your fingers to carefully press the walls against the base of the pastry. If at any point you feel the pastry is getting too warm, place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes then carry on. Place the tarts into the freezer for 30 minutes. 

10. Take the spare dough and form it back into a dough ball. Repeat steps 5-8 to make two more tart shells.

11. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted (160C fan-assisted).

12. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry from the tart rings so it is flush, then place the tarts into the centre of the oven for around 20 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown colour. 

13. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the tart rings. 

14. Mix the egg wash ingredients together and use a pastry brush to paint this over the entire surface of the tart shells. Place them back into the oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until the tarts are a deep golden brown colour. Set aside to cool. 

Lemon Filling

1. Into a medium saucepan, add all of the ingredients for the lemon filling, excluding the butter. 

2. Whisk it constantly over a medium heat, until it reaches a temperature of 82-84C (179-183F) on a digital thermometer. 

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve, into a tall measuring jug.

4. Add in the cold butter and blend until smooth with a hand blender. 

5. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours (or longer) until it is a thicker, more pipeable consistency. 

Almond Mirliton

1. Into a small saucepan, add the butter and over a medium heat, until it has melted. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine, before pouring in the melted butter and whisking to combine.

3. Cover the surface of the mixture with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, set the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C fan-assisted).

4. Once it has cooled, pipe the mixture into the tart shells, filling them up just above ¾ full. If you want you can also sprinkle some toasted flaked almonds on.

5. Place the tarts into the centre of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it is a golden colour on top. Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Assembly

1. Remove the lemon confit from the fridge which should now be a thicker, marmalade like consistency. 

2. Pipe a few dollops onto the top of the cooled tart, and spread this to the edges with the back of a spoon. It is quite sharp so you don’t need to overload the tart. 

3. Remove the white chocolate namelaka from the fridge and add into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until the mixture holds a medium stiff peak.

4. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a basket weave nozzle.

5. Place the tart into the centre of a rotating cake stand and holding the piping bag at about a 60 degree angle, apply even pressure, then push the nozzle slightly forward to create an initial ruffle of buttercream, before pulling it back to fold the buttercream over itself. Continue this motion in one direction without stopping so the folds connect smoothly, creating an even, continuous ruffle/weave. Because of the type of nozzle it is a little difficult to join the lines up seamlessly, so you just have to neatly pull the piping bag away to create a tail. 

6. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and add this into a piping bag, pipe it into the centre of the tart, filling it just below the rim of the cream.

7. They are now ready to serve.

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Lemon Meringue Tart

TIER 1

Lemon Meringue Tart

Lemon meringue tart is something I’ve been a bit hesitant to make before – I always thought there was way too much meringue, and it was overly sweet, so it was my mission to be proved wrong! The lemon filling is slightly richer than my Dad’s recipe, with more egg yolks which means it sets slightly firmer. We make a Swiss meringue for the topping, but with less sugar, which we press flat against the filling to create a more modern design.

1
9-INCH TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch tart

Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Zest ½ Lemon
50g Egg Yolk
200g Plain, All Purpose Flour 

Egg Wash
40g Egg Yolk
10g Double/Heavy Cream

Lemon Filling
160g Whole Eggs
120g Egg Yolks
230g Caster/ White Sugar
200g Double/Heavy Cream
6g Lemon Zest
150g Lemon Juice

Swiss Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
9-inch fluted tart ring
Hand blender
Baking beans
Blow torch
Digital thermometer

Method

Lemon Sweet Pastry

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the paddle attachment, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, scraping it down a few times in between, until you have a smooth paste.

2. Add in the egg yolks, and beat again, until the mixture is evenly combined, you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times again.

3. Tip in the flour, and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter doesn’t get stuck. Scrape the sides, and then mix on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough.

4. Scoop the dough out onto your work surface, and give it a quick knead just to bring it together. Shape it into a disc and warp it in clingfilm, before refrigerating for an hour or longer.

5. Once it’s chilled, remove it from the fridge and let it soften slightly at room temperature. The dough needs to be cold but flexible. If it is too cold when you roll it, it will crack.

6. Flour the dough and your rolling pin and applying even pressure, roll the dough out into a large, rough circle shape, around 3-5mm thick.

7. Working quickly, carefully lift this into a 23cm fluted tart ring on a baking tray. Use your fingers to press the dough into the side of the tin, then with the excess dough, fold it to create a thick rim around the outside of the tin. We will remove this excess later, but it will help to prevent the dough from shrinking as it bakes. 

8. Dock the bottom of the pastry with a fork, and then freeze it for 30 minutes.

9. Preheat the oven to 175C Non-fan assisted (345F or 160C fan-assisted).

Lemon Filling

1. Into a large measuring jug, add the cream, sugar, eggs and egg yolks and blend until smooth.

2. Add in the lemon juice and zest, and blend again to combine, avoiding adding too many air bubbles. 

3. Place a sheet of clingfilm on the surface, and refrigerate until needed. 

Pastry Continued

1. Once the pastry has chilled, scrunch a large circle of parchment/baking paper up, then press it firmly into the tart. Fill it to the top with baking beans or rice.

2. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and beans, then bake for a further 5-10 minutes until it is a pale golden brown. 

3. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients, then brush these all over the tart. Bake for a further 8-15 minutes, or until it is a deep golden colour.

4. As soon as it is out of the oven, use a serrated knife, holding it against the edge of the tin, and carefully trim off the excess pastry. Brush out any crumbs. Lower the oven temperature to 110C Non-fan assisted (230F or 95C fan-assisted).

5. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and peel off the clingfilm. Scoop off any remaining bubbles with a spoon, then pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.

6. Place the pan onto a medium low heat and stir constantly until it reaches 40C/104F on a digital thermometer. 

7. Immediately remove it from the heat and gently pour it through a sieve, back into a tall measuring jug.

8. Place the tart shell, on a tray, into the centre of the oven and pour the lemon filling in. Use a blow torch to pop any remaining bubbles.

9. Bake for around 55 minutes, or until the filling has just set when you gently wobble the tray.

10. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, before refrigerating for 1-2 hours.

Swiss Meringue

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium bowl if using an electric hand whisk), add the egg whites and sugar. 

2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, whisking constantly until it reaches 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat, and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for 5-7 minutes, until you have a medium stiff peak. 

4. Remove the lemon tart from the fridge and with it still in the tin, spread the meringue over the top. Then using a large offset spatula, starting at one edge, press it firmly against the rim of the tin and drag it firmly across the tin, to smooth the top. You can do this a few times if needs be.

5. Use a blow torch to caramelise the meringue to an even golden brown colour. Alternatively place it under a hot grill, keeping a very very close eye on it.

6. Remove the tart from the tin and slice it with a hot knife to serve.

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Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart

TIER 2

Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart

In this recipe we take our homemade raspberry jam from tier 1 and spread it on a Páte Brisée pastry case. Then we fill it with an almond frangipane and delicately decorate it with a pattern of flaked almonds. I usually fill my desserts with almond cream instead of frangipane, but the addition of pastry cream really improves the texture and adds even more flavour to the dessert.

 

1
9-INCH TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Tart

Pâte Brisée
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
50g Cold Water
3g Sea Salt

Pastry Cream
250g Whole Milk
½ Fresh Vanilla Bean Pod
35g Caster/White sugar
60g Egg Yolks
20g Cornstarch/Cornflour
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Cold Unsalted Butter

Frangipane
165g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
165g Caster/White Sugar
Zest ½ Lemon
130g Whole Egg, Lightly Whisked Together
165g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2g Sea Salt
85g Pastry Cream, Cooled

To Fill & Finish
Raspberry Jam (Tier 1)
Flaked Almonds
Fresh Raspberries
Icing/Powdered Sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Silicon mats
9-inch fluted tart ring
Baking beans
Piping bag

Method

Pâte Brisée

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, flour and salt. Mix on a low speed until the butter has completely broken down into fine crumbs and there are no large chunks of butter. 

2. Slowly drizzle in the cold water and mix for a few seconds until it pulls together into a dough. 

3. Gently knead the dough into a disc on your work surface and wrap it in clingfilm, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, place it in between two silicon mats (or two sheets of parchment paper), and roll the dough into a rough disc that is around 3-5mm thick. 

5. Refrigerate the pastry again for 1 hour and preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-fan Assisted. This is a good point to prepare your pastry cream. 

6. Peel the silicon mats/parchment paper off the pastry and ensure the dough is cold but flexible. If it is too cold it will break so just leave it for a few minutes to soften slightly if needed.

7. Lift the pastry into a 22.5cm fluted tart ring and use your hands to gently press it into the edges. Work quickly, being careful not to tear the pastry. 

8. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry off and place the tart shell back into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. 

9. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper and press this into the chilled tart shell. Fill the tart shell with baking beans or rice and then place it on a tray and straight into the oven to bake.

10. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, then remove the baking beans, and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry is an even golden brown colour. 

11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. 

Pastry Cream

1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming. 

2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.

3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.

4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.

5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.

6. Whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate it for an hour. 

Frangipane

1. Into a stand mixer, add the soft butter, salt, lemon zest and sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes on a medium-low speed until slightly thicker and paler in texture.

2. Slowly drizzle in the eggs and beat for a further minute.

3. Finally, add in the ground almonds/almond flour and scoop in the required amount of cooled pastry cream. Beat until smooth. 

4. Add the mixture into a piping bag.

Assembly & Baking

1. Lower the oven temperature to 175C/345F Non-Fan Assisted.

2. Take the raspberry jam and spread a few tablespoons across the bottom of the cooled pastry. Make sure it is nice and even.

3. Next, pipe the frangipane evenly into the tart shell. Use a palette knife if needed to smooth it out.

4. Slice your fresh raspberries in half and press them gently into the frangipane.

5. Next, take your time, and evenly place the flaked almonds around the entire tart in a nice circular pattern. This is optional, you can simply sprinkle them on!

6. Place it into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until it is an even golden colour all over.

7. Remove it from the oven, and at this point this filling will still be slightly soft, so let it cool for an hour at room temperature before serving. 

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Raspberry Soufflé Tartlets

TIER 2

Raspberry Soufflé Tartlets

In Tier 2 we make a Bake It Better first – raspberry pastry! I tested this a few times and am really happy with the result. We fill this with a raspberry soufflé and garnish with fresh raspberries. It’s actually the pastry element of this recipe that makes this the Tier 2 recipe – the beauty of adding soufflé to a tart is there’s no pressure on the rise! So once you’ve mastered the pastry, it’s plain sailing!

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 Individual Tartlets

Raspberry Pastry
75g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (small cubes)
50g Icing Sugar
4g Powdered Raspberry Powder
38g Egg Yolks
150g Plain/AP Flour
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel

Egg Wash
20g Egg Yolk
5g Double/Heavy Cream
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel

Raspberry Soufflé

 – Raspberry Base
120g Raspberry Puree
10g Cornstarch
Pinch of Sugar

 – Meringue Base
75g Raspberry Base
80g Egg Whites
50g Caster Sugar

Fresh Raspberries To Fill + Garnish

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Silicone mats
4x 7.5cm x 2cm perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter OR a ruler
Digital thermometer
Piping bags

Method

Raspberry Pastry

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cold cubed butter and then sift over the raspberry powder, icing sugar and red food powder. With the paddle attachment, beat on a medium low speed for 2 minutes or until the butter is smooth. As the butter is cold you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times to ensure it is completely incorporated. 

2. Add in the egg yolks and beat again for around 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl again to ensure it’s all incorporated.

3. Finally, sift in the flour, scrape the bottom of the bowl just to loosen the butter stuck on the bottom, and then mix again on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough, about 20-30 seconds.

4. Scoop the dough out and place it onto a large silicone mat and place a second silicone mat on top. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is around 3-5mm thick, don’t worry too much about the shape.

5. Place the entire sheet of pastry into the freezer for 30 minutes.

6. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.

7. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.

8. With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly. 

9. Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

10. Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.

11. Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells. 

12. Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray in the freezer for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 175C/350F.

13. Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush. 

14. Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, add the egg wash ingredients to a small ramekin and blend it to combine – I prefer to use a hand blender as it fully emulsifies the colouring into the egg mixture. 

15. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mould, and you should be able to lift it off easily. 

16. Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Lower the oven temperature to 140C/285F and place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool. 

Raspberry Soufflé

 – Raspberry Base

1. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.

2. Add the puree into a medium saucepan and heat it until it reaches around 40C. Once hot, sift in the cornstarch mixture and whisk together. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for a further minute.

3. Immediately pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

 – Meringue Base

1. Fill a pan with a shallow amount of water and place it over a medium heat. Meanwhile, add the egg whites and sugar into a medium bowl and place this over the water once it is simmering.

2. Whisk constantly until it reaches 60-65C (140-150F) on a digital thermometer.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

4. Whisk on a medium speed  for 6-7 minutes until you have a stiff meringue.

5. While it is whisking, remove the raspberry base from the fridge, whisk it, then weigh 75g and add this into a medium bowl.

6. When the meringue is done, fold it in thirds into the raspberry base until you have a homogenous mixture. 

Assembly

1. Add the raspberry soufflé mixture into a piping bag and snip the end off.

2. Take the cooled tart shells, and place a few torn up raspberries into the base.

3. Pipe the soufflé mixture into the tart shells, filling them right to the top, and then use a palette knife to level them so they are completely flush with the top of the tart.

4. Place the tarts back onto your baking tray, and place the perforated tart rings around the pastry again. This will just help to provide a little structure and prevent the pastry from cracking as the soufflé expands.

5. Place the tarts into the oven and bake them for 7 minutes. They should rise just slightly.

6. Once they are baked, these can be served warm or alternatively served chilled (place the tarts into the fridge for 1 hour)

7. To garnish, add some freshly sliced raspberries.

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Decadent Baked Chocolate Tart

TIER 1

Decadent Baked Chocolate Tart

This recipe teaches you how to master the perfect chocolate pastry, and create the smoothest chocolate filling. Decadent really is the only way to describe it! It’s light but rich, and is best served with a nice dollop of Vanilla Chantilly.

1
9" TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Tart

For the chocolate pastry

70g powdered/icing sugar
100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
20g cocoa powder
50g egg yolks
180g all purpose/plain flour, plus a pinch of sea salt

For the cocoa egg wash

40g egg yolks, plus 5g cocoa powder
10g heavy/double cream

For the filling

155g whole eggs
85g granulated/caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
180g heavy/double cream
325g whole milk
130g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, melted

Special equipment

Stand mixer with paddle attachment
9-inch (22.8cm) fluted tart tin

Method

Chocolate pastry and egg wash
  1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
  2. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
  3. Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
  4. Scrape down the bowl once again to ensure no butter is stuck to the sides. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for about 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture pulls together into a dough.
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently work it into a disc shape. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. Take the dough out of the fridge and gently squeeze it, using your hands to test the firmness. You want the dough to be slightly pliable but still cold. If the dough is too soft it will get sticky as you roll, but if it is too cold it will crack. It might need a minute or two at room temperature to get it to the right consistency.
  7. Lightly flour the dough and your rolling pin, and working quickly, roll the dough into a rough circle until the pastry is relatively thin, about 0.15 to 0.20-inch (4mm to 5mm) thick. Lift the dough up occasionally and lightly flour underneath to prevent it from sticking. If the dough is tearing or feels too warm, place it on a baking tray and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, then try again.
  8. Place your rolling pin at the top of the circle and fold the top edge of the dough over the rolling pin. Pull the rolling pin back towards you, which will wrap the dough around the rolling pin.
  9. Starting at the bottom edge of your fluted tart tin, carefully unroll the dough from the rolling pin, to cover the entire tin.
  10. Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the edges of the fluted indents. If the dough is tearing, simply take any excess pastry and patch the holes.
  11. Take the rolling pin, and pressing firmly against the top of the tin, roll it over the entire tin to trim away the excess dough. Place the tin on a tray and pop it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
  12. Cut a large circle of parchment/baking paper, and scrunch this up a few times so that it is flexible. Remove the tray from the freezer and use a fork to poke holes evenly across the base of the pastry. 
  13. Place the parchment/baking paper on the inside of the pastry and press it into the edges. Pour your baking beans or rice into the base and spread them out. Place the tray with the tin on in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
  14. After 25 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment paper with the baking beans on. Return the tray to the oven and continue to bake until the pastry is an even golden color—about 5-10 minutes.
  15. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pastry to cool for 10 minutes.
  16. Very carefully remove the pastry from the tin, keeping the removable base on the bottom. Really thoroughly mix together the ingredients for the egg wash to make sure the cocoa powder is incorporated.
  17. Using a pastry brush, lightly egg wash the inside and outside of the tart shell. Place it onto the tray and back into the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the egg wash has completely set
  18. Remove the tart from the oven, allowing it to cool slightly. It is now ready to add your filling.
Filling
  1. Lower the oven temperature to 285°F/140°C.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, and salt for 1 minute.
  3. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the cream and milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then slowly pour it over the egg mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
  4. Place the melted chocolate in a medium bowl and slowly pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, using a spatula to stir in small circles in the center of the bowl (ensure the melted chocolate is warm for this step). Use a spoon to scoop off any foam from the top.
Assembly
  1. Place the baked tart case, still in the pan, on a baking tray in the center of the oven. Carefully pour the chocolate filling into the tart shell, filling it just below the lip of the tart shell. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until there’s a wobble about 3” (7.5cm) big in the center of the tart. 
  2. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the tart to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge for 2 hours. 
  3. Remove the tart from the fridge and pop it out of the pan and onto your serving plate. oven. Decorate the tart with a dusting of cocoa powder around the edges. 

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Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets

TIER 2

Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets

For this recipe, we use the same pastry and filling from Tier 1, but we advance it by using individual perforated tart rings, and by creating a Chocolate Namelaka and a Salted Caramel. I’ve used a #127 piping nozzle to create a funky design around the edge, but you can do whatever you fancy!

6
TARTLETS

Ingredients

Makes 6 Tartlets

For the chocolate pastry

70g powdered/icing sugar
100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
20g cocoa powder
50g egg yolks
180g all purpose/plain flour, plus a pinch of sea salt

For the cocoa egg wash

40g egg yolks, plus 5g cocoa powder
10g heavy/double cream

For the Namelaka

3g powdered gelatin
18g cold water
160g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
120g whole milk
12g glucose
240g heavy/double cream, cold

For the salted caramel

88g heavy/double cream
23g whole milk
68g glucose syrup, divided
40g superfine/caster sugar
1g flaky sea salt
30g unsalted butter

For the filling

100g eggs
50g granulated/caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
110g heavy/double cream
200g whole milk
80g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

Special equipment

Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
6x 3 x 0.78 inch (7.6×1.98cm) perforated tart rings
2x piping bags, plus a #127 tip piping nozzle
Hand blender

Method

Chocolate pastry and egg wash
  1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
  2. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
  3. Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
  4. Scrape down the bowl once again to ensure no butter is stuck to the sides. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for about 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture pulls together into a dough.
  5. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the ball of dough onto a silicone mat. Place a second silicone mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough rectangle, getting it around 0.15 to 0.2 inch (4mm to 5mm) thick. If you don’t have silicone mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper, but it will be more difficult as it has less grip. Place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  6. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.
  7. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.
  8. With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly. 
  9. Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.
  10. Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.
  11. Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells. 
  12. Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
  13. Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush.
  14. Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, thoroughly whisk together the ingredients for the egg wash. 
  15. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mold, and you should be able to lift it off easily.
  16. Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5-8 minutes. The pastry is blind baked now ready to add your filling. 
Namelaka
  1. In a small bowl, combine the powdered gelatin and cold water. Mix well and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
  2. To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water without allowing the bowl to touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
  3. To a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and glucose. Stir the mixture until steaming. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until it completely dissolves. 
  4. Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, stirring in small circles in the center of the chocolate as you pour. Initially, the mixture will look quite split and oily, but as you add the remaining milk, everything will pull together.
  5. Add the cold cream and use a hand blender or a hand whisk to mix until combined. Cover the surface with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours or ideally overnight.
Salted Caramel
  1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the milk, heavy cream, and 23 grams of corn/glucose syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking the mixture to ensure the syrup has fully dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat but ensure the mixture stays warm.
  2. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the superfine/caster sugar and the remaining 45 grams of glucose sugar. Cook until the mixture turns a deep caramel color, whisking slowly to help disperse the sugar.
  3. Once golden, immediately pour in the hot cream mixture, being very careful as it will bubble up violently. Whisk the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve and into a large bowl. Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes. Add the sea salt flakes and butter. Blend or whisk until smooth. 
  5. Pour the mixture into a container and chill for at least 3 hours
Filling
  1. Lower the oven temperature to 285°F/140°C.
  2. To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt for 1 minute. 
  4. In a small saucepan over a medium heat, combine the milk and cream. Heat until the mixture is steaming. 
  5. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the eggs, whisking to combine as you pour.
  6. Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, using a spatula to stir the mixture in small circles in the center as you pour. Once everything has been combined, use a spoon to scoop off any foamy bubbles on the top.
Assembly
  1. Place the tray with the tarts on, in the middle of the oven and carefully pour in the chocolate filling—just to the top of the tart shell. Bake for about 25 or 30 minutes or until they have a very small wobble in the center. 
  2. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 3 hours. 
  3. Remove the namelaka from the fridge and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until you get a medium–stiff peak. 
  4. Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small St. Honore nozzle. Holding the piping bag just slightly below vertical, pipe the namelaka around the outside edge of the tart in a zigzag motion, leaving a small gap in the center. If you have a cake turntable, this can make it a little easier to spin the tart as you pipe.
  5. Add the salted caramel to a piping bag and snip a small hole off the end. Pipe this into the center of the tart.
  6. Allow the tarts to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. 

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