Decadent Chocolate Tart


This is a show-stopping dessert, and will impress all your friends and family. It's super rich, and I love serving it with some lovely fresh raspberries and a nice glass of red wine. It's sure to bring any meal to a delicious side-splitting end, preferably followed by a nap.

You will need...
1/2 a quantity of sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe found here Sweet Pastry)
For the filling...
400gr dark chocolate (54%-56% cocoa solids) - I used Callebaut brand, I've talked about different qualities of chocolate before and how if you're making a chocolate dessert, the better quality your chocolate means the better your dessert will be.
250ml thickened cream
125ml milk
2 small eggs, beaten
Dutch cocoa, to serve.

Method..
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius, grease and flour a 20 inch round, fluted flan tin.
2. Remove your rested pastry from the fridge (it should have been in the fridge for at least 1 hour), and leave on the bench for 10 minutes to make it easier to roll. Using a little bit of plain flour, use a rolling pin, to roll the pastry (always roll away from you, from the centre outwards, and turn the pastry after each roll to stop it from sticking to the bench and ensure even thickness) to a 2mm thickness, you should *JUST* be able to see your hand if you place it underneath the pastry**
3. Roll the pastry up onto the rolling pin, then carefully transfer it onto the prepared flan tin. Using your fingertips, lift and press the sides into the corners, and press into the grooves of the flan tin. If you see any cracks appearing, press them back together, or patch any holes with pastry cut-offs.
4. Once the pastry is pressed into the tin, trim off the excess, then dock the base with a fork. cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper so it overhangs about 1-2inches on each side of the tin once pushed into the corners. Fill the greaseproof paper with rice/beans/lentils or baking beans to weigh down the pastry while blind baking. Place on a large, flat baking tray and into the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Once the 15 minute timer is up, use the overhanging greaseproof paper to carefully lift out the baking beans off the pastry (transfer them to a metal/ceramic bowl or tray to cool down before packaging for re-use). Return the tart pastry to the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly coloured and cooked through.
6. Meanwhile, place chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Bring cream and milk to the simmer in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, add to the chocolate and stand for 1-2 minutes until chocolate melts , stir to combine, cool slightly, then stir in the beaten egg.
7. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 130 degrees celsius, pour the chocolate filling into the pastry shell and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until just set with a slight wobble. Set aside to cool, and serve at room temperature with a dusting of dutch cocoa.

** If you're a pastry novice, check out this Gordon Ramsay Video for a quick how-to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8hMr3bxM1I

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