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Chocolate

    Chocolate caramel tartlets

  1. picture of Chocolate caramel tartlets
 Chocolate
  2. 
    PASTRY
    150g plain flour, plus a little extra for rolling out
    2 tbsp cocoa
    2 tbsp light brown sugar
    100g unsalted butter, cold and diced
    1 egg yolk mixed with 1-2 tbsp cold water
    
    FILLING
    50g caster sugar
    325ml double cream
    200g dark chocolate
    2 egg yolks, beaten
    
    GANACHE
    50ml double cream
    100g dark chocolate
    25g unsalted butter
    1 tsp liquid glucose
    
    TO DECORATE
    75g white chocolate
    
    

    To make the pastry, put the flour, cocoa, sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Pulse to breadcrumbs. Add the egg mix and pulse until the pastry clumps together. Knead lightly to bring the dough into a ball then flatten into a disc, cover with cling film and chill for 1 hour.

    Roll the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to 2mm thickness. Stamp out eighteen 8cm discs and use to line two jam tart tins. Prick the bases with a fork and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 160C and put in a baking sheet. Line the tins with squares of tin foil and fill with baking beans. Blind bake on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, remove the foil and beans and bake for 2 minutes. Cool.

    To make the filling, heat the sugar and 1 tbsp of water in a pan until the sugar dissolves then boil. Cook until the sugar takes on a deep amber colour. Take off the heat and add the double cream, it will bubble furiously. Return to the heat, bring slowly to the boil and stir until smooth.

    Break the chocolate into a bowl and add the hot caramel cream. Allow to melt then gently stir until smooth and add the yolks. Stir until smooth and divide between the tart shells. Leave until cool and the filling has set.

    To make the ganache, put all of the ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Melt the chocolate then stir until smooth and spoon a little over each tartlet to cover the filling. Leave to set.

    Melt the white chocolate in a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Pour the melted white chocolate into a piping bag made from greaseproof paper, and drizzle lines and dots over each tartlet. Chill for 30 minutes.