Ingredients
Pastry
2 tbsp good quality cocoa*
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour
150g cold unsalted butter, diced
2½ tbsp (50ml) thickened cream
Ganache
400mls thickened cream
30g butter, diced
¼ tsp chilli powder (optional)
320g good quality dark chocolate
1 ½ tsp (7.5mls) Cointreau or other liqueur
Double cream or crème fraiche, to serve
Raspberries, to serve
Recipe by: Lyndey Milan
Photography by: John Paul Urizar
Styling by: Michaela Le Compte
Method
1. For the pastry: place cocoa and icing sugar in a food processor and process until free from lumps. Add flour and process until combined. Add butter and process gently or pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the cream and pulse again just until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Grease a 35cm x 11cm rectangular flan tin with a removable base with butter. Roll out the dough between two pieces of baking paper to 4mm thick. If the dough is too sticky, dust it with sifted cocoa. Using the baking paper to lift the pastry, carefully lift it into the prepared tin, ensuring the pastry overlaps the edges. Alternatively, if you find it too hard to handle, push the pastry into the tin with your fingers. Tuck it into the corners and trim neatly by running a rolling pin over the edge. Use any excess to patch any thinner parts or holes. Prick base with a fork and freeze until solid (approximately 20 minutes).
3. Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Line pastry with baking paper and pastry weights or dried beans and blind bake for 25 minutes, then remove paper and weights and return to oven for another 5–10 minutes or until dried out. Make sure the pastry is cooked as the tart is not cooked again.
4. For the ganache: heat cream, butter, chilli powder and broken or chopped chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat (or in microwave) and stir until melted. Taste for chilli strength and add more chili powder if desired. Stir in Cointreau – if you are unsure if the chocolate is all melted, sieve. Pour immediately into baked tart shell in one pour. Leave to set. Do not refrigerate. If you refrigerate overnight, bring to room temperature to eat.
5. To serve, place long knife in boiling water and cut small pieces as the tart is very rich. Serve with double cream or crème fraîche and blood orange segments in season or other oranges or raspberries.
Lyndey’s Note: You could also use pre-prepared shortcrust pastry instead of making your own. *Dutch cocoa or for more chilli heat Mayan chilli chocolate spice (double cocoa, chilli, cassia and cayenne pepper) available from gewurzhaus.com.au