Chocolate and Caramelised Walnut Tart

Crunchy walnuts in a chewy caramel beurre sallée on a base of crisp golden pastry and topped with a silky rich dark chocolate ganache with hints of coffee.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 90 g of unsalted butter, super soft

• 1 pinch of salt

• 70 g icing sugar

• 25 g ground almonds

• 180 g of plain flour

• 1/2 an egg or a little water

• 1/2 teaspoon of white wine vinegar

For the caramelised walnuts:

• 120 ml double cream

• 70 g caster sugar

• 30 g butter

• 60 g dark chocolate, chopped finely

• 70 g walnuts

For the dark chocolate ganache:

• 250 ml double cream

• 125 g dark chocolate

• 1 teaspoon of instant coffee

• 3 tablespoons of golden syrup

• 15 g of butter

• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt flakes

Recipe

For the pastry:

1. Mix the butter with the sugar + salt + egg + white wine vinegar + ground almonds + 1/4 of the flour. Then add in the rest of the flour, mixing with your hand until it forms a ball, you might need to add a little water.

2. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking parchment until thin and could cover a tart tin. Chill for 30 minutes before placing in a buttered tart tin and freezing for 1 hour.

3. Poke holes, cover with baking parchment filled with baking beans and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes until golden.

4. Leave to cool and do not remove from tin.

For the dark chocolate ganache:

1. Melt the dark chocolate.

2. Heat the double cream + golden syrup + instant coffee until the coffee granules are dissolved.

3. Pour in 3 stages the cream into the melted chocolate, mixing in between each addition. Then add in the butter + sea salt flakes.

4. Cover the ganache with cling film (in contact) and place in the fridge.

For the caramelised walnuts:

1. Place a third of the caster sugar in a pan on low heat and once it's dissolved, add in another third and once that's dissolved add in the rest.

2. Heat the cream.

3. Once all the sugar is dissolved, add in the cream + butter, being careful as it might splash. Mix immediately and once everything is incorporated (if the sugar hardens, stop mixing and let melt again) take off the heat. (It might look a bit oily at this point but it's fine.

4. Add in the finely chopped chocolate and once it's melted, add in the walnuts and mix until coated.

5. Pour into baked pastry and spread to make it even.

To assemble:

1. Pour on the top the ganache and chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes.

2. Dust on cocoa powder before serving and top with chocolate drizzled walnuts.

Enjoy, a true mouthful of heaven and the best way to finish off a meal.

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Bye Xxx