Chocolate & Orange Pasticciotto (Lecce)
Makes 8
500ml milk
1 tbsp orange rind
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 5 egg yolks
¾ cup caster sugar
¼ cup cornflour
⅓ cup hazelnut chocolate spread 1 tbsp hazelnut liqueur (optional) 1 egg, extra, to brush
Icing sugar, to dust
PASTRY
500g ‘00’ flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup (220g) caster sugar ¼ tsp table salt 200g unsalted butter,
chopped and softened 50g lard (optional),
chopped and softened 4 egg yolks
¼ cup milk
Place the milk, orange rind and vanilla seeds and bean in a saucepan over low heat and heat through. Place egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl, whisk until smooth. Remove vanilla bean from the milk and pour milk into the egg mix, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of the spoon. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold.
To make the pastry, place the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, butter and lard in the bowl of a standing mixer with a beater attached. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes or until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg yolks and milk, and mix until just combined and the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough in half, flatten into two discs. Roll out each between two sheets of baking paper to 4mm thick. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan forced). Grease 8 x 100ml friand moulds. Using a 12cm round cutter, cut out 8 rounds of pastry and use to line each mould, leaving a little overhang. Place the hazelnut chocolate spread and liqueur in a bowl and mix to combine. Spoon into the base of each mould and then fill with the custard.
Roll out the remaining pastry to about 3mm thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut out 8 x 8cm rounds and press on top of each tart. Trim any excess pastry using a sharp knife. Beat the extra egg and use to brush the top of the pastries. Place on a baking tray, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.