CHOCOLATE TART

Serves 10-12 PREP TIME: 1 hour + 55 minutes cooking time + time to chill pastry and cool For the pastry

150g butter, softened 100g castor sugar 1²∕3 cups (250g) cake wheat flour 25g almond meal 1 egg yolk juice of ½ lemon seeds of ½ vanilla bean

For the filling

• 400g dark chocolate (56% cocoa), finely chopped • 260ml pouring cream • 120ml milk • 2 small eggs, lightly beaten • Dutch-processed cocoa powder • vanilla ice cream, to serve

1. To make the pastry, place butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour and almond meal and stir to combine. Add the yolk, lemon juice, vanilla seeds and 1 tbsp iced water. Stir to combine. Turn out onto a piece of clingfilm, pat into a disc, wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick. Use it to line a 24cmdiameter fluted tart tin, trim the edges, then refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). Line the tart shell with baking paper and ceramic baking beans, and bake blind for 1012 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove baking paper and beans, and bake a further 7 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

3. To make the filling, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl; set aside. Place cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour over chocolate, leave until chocolate melts, then stir until smooth. Cool slightly, then stir in egg.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 130°C (110°C fan). Pour chocolate mixture into pastry case and bake for 30 minutes or until just set. When cool, dust with cocoa powder and serve the tart at room temperature with ice cream. ✤