Chocolate summer berry tart

SERVES 10-12

Mum doesn’t make her own pastry that often but this is such a simple recipe that it’s worth it. The topping could just as easily be tropical fruit or roasted rhubarb; just make sure whatever you use it’s generously piled high.

CHOCOLATE PASTRY

225g (about 1.5 cups) plain flour

½ cup icing sugar

¼ cup + 1 tbsp

ground almonds

2 heaped tbsp cocoa

190g cold butter, diced

1 large egg yolk

FILLING & TOPPING

100ml cream 150g mascarpone

2 heaped tbsp crème fraîche

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups mixed fresh berries – raspberries, strawberries and blueberries

Edible flowers, to garnish

Icing sugar, for dusting

1 Lightly grease a 26cm removable tart tin.

2 To make the chocolate pastry, combine the flour, icing sugar, almonds and cocoa in a food processor and pulse to combine evenly. Add the diced butter and pulse until crumbly. Don’t over process at this stage! Drop in the egg yolk and pulse until the pastry just starts to come together. Tip onto a lightlyfloured surface and press into a disc. Wrap in a plastic bag and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling out to line the tart tin. If it rips, use the leftover pastry scraps to patch it back together. Prick all over with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.

3 Trim the pastry to form a neat edge – I usually just roll my rolling pin over the edge to cut through the pastry. Rest the lined tart tin in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

4 Turn oven to 180oC and place a tray in to preheat. Bake the tart shell towards the top of oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and cooked through. Leave to cool.

5 When ready to serve, whip the cream until soft peaks form, then add mascarpone, crème fraîche, brown sugar and vanilla, whipping until smooth. Scrape into your tart shell and then pile on the berries. Decorate with flowers and icing sugar.