Chocolate Tart

20cm/8” baking dish, parchment paper, ceramic baking beans, 2 x mixing bowls and saucepan

SWEET PASTRY
150g Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
75g butter
25g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
butter, for dish
flour, for dusting

CHOCOLATE FILLING
100g plain chocolate
200ml double cream
3 tbsp golden syrup
fresh berries, to serve

180°C, Fan 160°C, 350°F, Gas 4

Sweet Pastry

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Rub some butter around the inside of a 20cm/8” baking dish or insert a baking liner.
3. Put the flour into a mixing bowl.
4. Chop the butter into small cubes and add them to the bowl.
5. Using a fork or pastry blender, work them together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
6. Stir in the sugar.
7. Add the egg yolks and mix well.
8. Using your hands gather everything together to form a smooth ball of pastry dough.
9. Dust the work surface with flour, put the dough in the middle and sprinkle it with flour.
10. Roll out the pastry out into a circle 5cm/2” larger than your dish and lift it into the dish OR simply press the pastry into the dish using your fingers.
11. Cut away any pastry that hangs over the edge of the dish.
12. Prick the pastry all over with a fork.

Blind Baking

1. Lay a large piece of parchment paper over the raw pastry, making sure all the edges are covered.
2. Scatter ceramic baking beans (or rice or flour) over the parchment paper, spreading them evenly over the surface.
3. Bake for 15-18 minutes then remove from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper and contents off the pastry.
4. Return the pastry to the oven and cook for a further 12-15 minutes.
5. Take the dish out of the oven, remove the parchment paper and its contents and leave it to cool.

Chocolate Filling

1. Break the chocolate into squares and put them into a mixing bowl.
2. Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat it gently. As soon as bubbles start to appear remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream onto the chocolate.
3. Stir until the chocolate has all melted into the cream.
4. Add the golden syrup and stir to combine.
5. Tip the mixture into the pastry case and leave to set.
6. When cold refrigerate or freeze until required.