Saturday, 9 October, is official Pinotage Day. I don’t exactly need an excuse to open a bottle of this truly South African cultivar, but I got one when the folks from FAT Bastard Wines sent me this recipe for a chocolate truffle tart. They recon it’s the ideal decadent treat to pair with their Pinotage. Showcasing ripe plums and rich dark fruit intertwined with delicious notes of chocolate and mocha, it’s a decidedly moreish wine. As for the tart? Velvety smooth chocolate heaven. Chocolate with Pinotage? Yes, yes, yes!
Chocolate Truffle Tart: So easy to make, decadent as they come!
ALL YOU NEED:
For the pastry
90g icing sugar
25g cocoa powder
30g ground almonds
120g butter, softened
Pinch sea salt
1 XL free-range egg
220g all-purpose flour
For the filling
300g high quality dark chocolate, 70%
350ml cream
50g honey
Special equipment: 24cm tart mould
To serve: Flaky sea salt and fresh seasonal berries
METHOD:
To make the base:
Weigh icing sugar, cocoa powder and ground almonds in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk them together to combine well. Add the softened butter and salt. Mix on low with the paddle attachment until well combined but do not whip air into the butter.
Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour in 3 stages. Once the flour is just incorporated, switch off the mixer because you do not want to overwork the dough.
Flatten the pastry dough into a disk and wrap with cling film. Place in the fridge to rest for one hour. (The dough can be made the night before and also can be made by hand.) Flour a clean work surface and remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out the dough into a circle a few centimetres larger than your tart mould. Gently transfer your dough to the mould by rolling the pastry up on the rolling pin and then unrolling it across the mould. Press the pastry dough well into the mould taking special care of the ‘corners’ where the base and sides meet. Using a paring knife, trim off the excess dough and neaten the edges. Place the tart base in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 170˚C. Prick the base of the tart with a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow the tart base to cool completely before removing the mould and placing the tart base on your chosen serving dish.
To make the filling:
Prepare a bain marie and roughly chop the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in the bain marie, stirring occasionally. In another saucepan heat the cream and honey. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat. Pour the warm cream into the chocolate in 3 additions, stirring well in between. (As you add the cream it will look like the filling has split. However, keep mixing with a spatula and it will come together to be velvety smooth.)
Pour the warm chocolate filling into your tart base. Transfer the tart to the fridge and allow to set. Once the tart has set, remove from the fridge and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Slice and serve with a pile of fresh berries.
Leave A Comment