A rich and smooth chocolate filling in a crumbly shortcrust pastry. Sea salt flakes add bursts of flavour with every bite. This elegant tart is incredibly easy to make.
250g plain flour, sifted
115g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
50g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2-3 tablespoons ice-cold water
For the filling:
3 x 100g Butlers 70% Dark Chocolate Bars, roughly chopped
100g Butlers Milk Chocolate Bar, roughly chopped
50g unsalted butter
325ml double cream
Pinch of sea salt flakes
METHOD:
For the pastry, use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, with a few larger pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Add the sugar and mix it in with a blunt knife.
Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of the water and pour over the dry mix. Stir in using a blunt knife until mostly mixed. If the mixture feels slightly dry, add 1 tablespoon of water.
Turn out onto a clean surface and knead lightly just until the dough comes together.
Form a thick disc with the dough and wrap well in Clingfilm. Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Flour a clean surface and roll out the pastry with a rolling pin, making sure to move the pastry around on the table, adding more flour if needed. Also, dust the rolling pin with flour to avoid the pastry sticking. Roll out until it's slightly larger than needed to line a 20cm (8-inch) loose-bottomed fluted tart tin.
Gently lift the pastry and place it over the tart tin. Gently press the pastry into the tin to line it, pressing the side into the bottom edges and into the fluted sides. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork. Do not trim away the excess pastry. Line with 2 sheets of Clingfilm and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes to chill. While pastry is chilling, place a large baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200°C/180°C fan-assisted/gas 6.
To bake, fill the clingfilm-lined pastry with baking beads or dried beans and/or rice. Fold clingfilm over the beads, then place in the oven on the heated baking sheet. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and lift out the baking beads and trim away excess pastry with a sharp knife just to the top of the tart tin. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until the pastry is a light golden colour. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the filling, place the Butlers dark and milk chocolate bar pieces in a large heatproof bowl with the butter. Heat cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it bubbles around the edges. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and butter and mix with a whisk or fork until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour mixture into the baked pastry shell and leave to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then chill in the fridge to set completely for at least 2 hours. Once set, sprinkle the top with sea salt flakes.
To serve, carefully remove the tart from the tin. Leave to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the tart, warming the blade in a glass of hot water and wiping it clean after making each cut