Bitter chocolate tart recipe

A deliciously rich dark-chocolate, coffee and caramel tart, in a home-made pastry case

Bitter chocolate and coffee tart
Caramel, cooked until slightly bitter, adds a wonderful edge to this show-stopping tart Credit: Photo: HAARALA HAMILTON

The inspiration for this comes from the American food writer David Lebovitz. Make sure you take the caramel far enough – it has to be bittersweet (but not burnt, of course).

SERVES

10 (possibly more – it's best in thin slices)

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry:

• 200g plain flour

• 60g icing sugar

• 100g butter, cut into cubes

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 egg yolk

For the filling:

• 250g sugar

• 4 tbsp brandy

• 2 tbsp espresso coffee

• 115g unsalted butter

• 100g Green & Black's chocolate with espresso, broken into pieces

• 70g bitter chocolate (99 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 35g plain flour, sifted

METHOD

In a food processor, blitz the flour, sugar, butter and a pinch of salt until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and blend again. If the pastry does not come together into a ball add a little water (no more than half a tablespoon) and whizz until it does. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for two hours.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

Roll out the pastry to line a 25cm loose-bottomed metal tart tin. Prick the base with a fork and trim the edges. Put in the freezer to firm up, then line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans or dried pulses – bake blind for eight minutes.

Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further six minutes, then remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool a little. Turn the oven down to 180C/gas mark 4.

Set the sugar and five tablespoons of water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Tilt the pan from time to time to help the sugar melt – don't stir. Once it's melted, turn the heat up high and cook until it caramelises (it will turn amber and then caramel pretty quickly).

Immediately take the pan off the heat and add the brandy and coffee. The mixture will hiss and spit so stand well back. If the caramel seizes and goes hard put it back on a low heat and melt it again. Put this into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir in the butter, a pinch of salt and both chocolates until smooth.

Leave to cool a little then gradually stir in the eggs and flour – you'll have to beat hard to incorporate the eggs. Pour the mixture into the tart shell and bake for about 17 minutes, until it has set round the edges and has started to crack. The centre should be just set but still slightly wobbly.

Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. Serve in small slices – it's rich.

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Bitter chocolate and coffee tart

Bitter chocolate tart recipe
Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes