Chocolate tarts

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.