CHOCOLATE, CHERRY & RASPBERRY TART

By Ursula Ferrigno

Crisp pastry filled with chocolate ganache and dotted with juicy summer fruits.

Serves 8

Prep time 45 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

30g icing sugar

1 egg yolk, plus enough water to make up to 60ml

240g ‘00’ flour

200g cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For the poached cherries:

700g fresh cherries, pitted

100ml red wine

140g golden caster sugar

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

Thinly peeled rind of 1 orange

For the chocolate ganache:

200g dark chocolate, at least 75% cocoa solids

80g unsalted butter

3 tbsp double cream

For the cream:

200ml double cream

30g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

50g toasted flaked almonds

200g raspberries

Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

For the sweet pastry, mix the icing sugar and egg yolk in a small bowl until smooth. Pulse the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until blended, ensuring that the butter is still lumpy.

Turn out onto a work surface and bring the crumbs together in a heap. Make a rabbit hole in the centre and pour in the egg mixture. Lightly mix with your hands, kneading gently. Wrap in clingfilm and rest for 30 minutes. Knead the pastry very gently, roll out to line a 28cm tart tin, trim the edge and prick all over with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes until you are ready to bake. Line tart shell with parchment paper and place baking beans / weights inside. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Blind bake the tart shell for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove the paper and beans / weights and bake for a further 10 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.

For the poached cherries, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer for at least 20 minutes until the cherries are tender. Set aside to cool, then chill. This can be done the day before or while the pastry is chilling, but the longer the better.

For the chocolate ganache, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and cream, stirring until you have a smooth mixture. Pour into the cooled tart shell, spread evenly over the base and chill.

For the cream, whisk the cream in a bowl until you have soft peaks, then add the sugar and vanilla. Spoon over the chilled chocolate. Top with drained cherries, raspberries and flaked almonds. Dust with icing sugar.

ALTERNATIVE: Other fruits may be used, for example, blueberries, strawberries, peaches and nectarines.

PICTURE CREDITS: