POACHED PEARS AND CHOCOLATE CUSTARD TART

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pears peeled

• 4 cups water

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

BASE

• 1¾ cups plain flour

• 3 tsp cocoa powder

• 125g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

• 2 tbsp white granulated sugar

• 1 egg

FILLING

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• 6 egg yolks

• ½ cup caster sugar

• ⅔ cup thickened cream

• Cocoa powder for dusting

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 160C.

2 Grease your tart tin with butter and sift cocoa powder over the butter, spread evenly so the surface is coated. Tap out any excess and set aside.

3 Peel your pears and place into a medium saucepan with water, caster sugar, vanilla essence and cinnamon stick.

4 Place the saucepan over a medium heat and allow to simmer until the liquid has roughly halved. Take off the heat and allow your pears to cool in the liquid. Reserve liquid for the base and filling.

5 To make the dough, in a food processor place plain flour, cocoa powder, unsalted butter and sugar. Blitz briefly to combine. 6 Add egg and 2 tbsp of poaching liquid to the food processor. Blitz until your dough clumps together in one large section.

7 Sprinkle your bench with a small amount of cocoa powder, tip your dough out onto your bench, knead it a couple of times to bring the dough together, and then roll it out to roughly 2-3mm thick.

8 Carefully place your dough into your pre-prepared tart tin, and press firmly into the corners. Using a sharp knife, cut any excess hanging over the edge of the tart tin. Place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes before removing and setting aside.

9 For filling, place cocoa powder, egg yolks, caster sugar, thickened cream and 1 tbsp reserved poaching liquid into a large saucepan. Whisk together gently over a low heat until the sugar has melted into your custard, avoid allowing the mixture to boil. Set aside to cool.

10 Remove your pears from the poaching liquid, and cut them down the centre, gently remove the core with a spoon, and place cut side down onto your tart base.

11 Pour custard through a sieve and into a pouring jug, then gently pour your custard around your pears. Place back in the oven for 25 minutes.

TIP: To avoid the custard cracking as it cools, open the oven door slightly and allow your tart to cool inside for roughly 30 minutes.