Tart au chocolat with mascarpone cream and cherries
	Serves 18 Cherries go very well with brandy and chocolate as any chocolate liqueur lover will tell you. But you could try other complimentary fruits such as bananas in rum or pears poached in white wine.		white chocolate choux tart au chocolat blueberry tart steamed pecan pud pear dartois Glazed lemon tart

	Sweet pastry 500g (16oz) plain flour 200g (8oz) butter 140g (5oz) caster sugar 2 eggs	With the fingertips, in a large bowl, rub in the butter and the flour until the mixture is fine and resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar. Break in the egg and using a blunt knife quickly work the egg into the mixture. As it comes together use your hands to form it into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and cool and rest in the fridge for at least two hours but one hour will do. line individual tart cases with the pastry and blind bake them. If you want to save time line a large tart case and cut the final tart into slices. For more explaination on blind baking check out the cooking course.
	Chocolate pastry cream 300g (12oz) grated chocolate 100g (4oz) butter 150ml (5floz) milk 150ml (5floz) cream 4 eggs 200g (7oz) caster sugar 100g (4oz) flour 1 heaped dessertspoon cornflour 1 litre (2 pints) milk 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence	Melt the first four ingredients together in a bowl placed over a pan of boiling water to form a thick chocolate sauce. Whisk the eggs and sugar until white and fluffy then mix in the flours. Bring the milk and vanilla pod to the boil . Whisk some of the milk into the sugar mix to dissolve it and return to the pan with the rest of the milk. The mixture will thicken. Fold in the chocolate and use to fill the pastry cases. Leave until set.
	Mascarpone cream 200ml (1 cup) mascapone 250ml (1 cup) whipped double cream 350g (12oz) stoned cherries 4 dessertspoons caster sugar A slug of brandy	Whisk up the sugar and cream then fold in the remaining ingredients. To serve top the cold tarts with a blob of cherry mascarpone cream and fresh cherries.
	home | quick and easy | professional | dinner party | recipe share | cooking course