chocolate cake/tartlets
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8
For the dough:
100 g cold butter
100 g icing sugar
2 large egg yolks
225 g flour
25 g cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cold water
to serve: double cream, cocoa powder, and cinnamon for dusting
For the chocolate filling:
200 g good - quality milk chocolate
100 g dark chocolate (70-85 %)
200 g butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
50 g sugar
1½ tsp freshly ground Szechuan pepper /chilli (optional)
1. Put all the ingredients of the dough into the blender and mix until they make a dough. If it is too soft, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line 8 x 8 cm greased tartlet tins or a normal-sized pie form. Prick the base(s) with a fork.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C / gas 4. Line the tartlet case(s) with baking paper and fill them with baking beans. Bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and leave to cool.
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter together. Mix the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and Szechuan pepper in the mixer bowl with the wire whisk on speed 8 until pale and thick. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and spoon it into the tartlet cases. Bake for 8 minutes at 180 ° C / gas mark 4. The filling will not have been set completely but will continue to set as it cools. Serve the tartlets warm or at room temperature with double cream. Dust with cocoa powder/cinnamon before serving. ...or raspberry...
Alternative chocolate filling (my personal favourite)
200 g good - quality milk chocolate
100 g dark chocolate (70-85 %)
150 g butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 pinch cinnamon
a few drops of vanilla extract
Melt the chocolate, butter, cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla extract together. Remove from the heat, add the eggs and whisk the mixture until it gets really thick and shiny (about 3-5 minutes). You will know when it is ready the cream seems to form a solid whirl. Slip the mixture into the (blind-)baked, cooled tart base. Do not bake it again! Cover the tart and put it into the fridge.
