Name: Chocolate, cherry and raspberry tart
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 10 - 12
Ingredients: 50 gm flaked almonds; 200 gm raspberries; For dusting: pure icing sugar; Pâte sucrée; 30 gm pure icing sugar, sieved; 1 egg yolk, mixed with enough water to make up to 60ml; 240 gm plain flour; 200 gm cold butter, cut into small, even cubes; Poached cherries; 800 gm cherries, pitted; 100 ml red wine; 1 star anise; 1 cinnamon quill; 2 cloves; 140 gm raw caster sugar; 1 piece of thinly peeled orange rind; Chocolate ganache; 200 gm dark chocolate (63% cocoa solids); 80 gm butter, diced; Cream Chantilly; 250 ml organic pouring cream; 50 gm caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (see note)

Chocolate, cherry and raspberry tart

Poaching the cherries for this tart adds that little bit extra flavour that will keep you coming back for more.

Serves 10 - 12

Prep

45M

Cook

20M

Total

1H 5M

“Daniel and I called this our accidental tart,” says Hafner, “because one day, we happened to run out of desserts, but luckily we had a spare baked tart shell and some poached local cherries. We poached a lot of cherries over summer and, although it was a lot of work to pit the fruit before poaching, the flavour was well worth the effort and you could keep them in their syrup for weeks after.”

Ingredients

50 gm flaked almonds

200 gm raspberries

For dusting: pure icing sugar

Pâte sucrée

30 gm pure icing sugar, sieved

1 egg yolk, mixed with enough water to make up to 60ml

240 gm plain flour

200 gm cold butter, cut into small, even cubes

Poached cherries

800 gm cherries, pitted

100 ml red wine

1 star anise

1 cinnamon quill

2 cloves

140 gm raw caster sugar

1 piece of thinly peeled orange rind

Chocolate ganache

200 gm dark chocolate (63% cocoa solids)

80 gm butter, diced

Cream Chantilly

250 ml organic pouring cream

50 gm caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (see note)

Method

Main

1.For sweet pastry, mix icing sugar and egg yolk mixture in a small bowl until smooth. Pulse flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until blended but butter remains in lumps. Turn out onto a work surface and bring together with your hands. Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg mixture. Lightly fold with your hands until dough comes together, then, with the heel of your hand, push and smear the dough away from you (this breaks down the butter but doesn’t overwork the flour). When most of the butter is incorporated, bring dough together and knead gently (do not overwork; you should get a slightly marbled effect with the flour and butter, which gives the pastry its layers and light, crumbly texture). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (30 minutes). Knead pastry gently, roll out and line a 28cm tart tin and trim edges. Prick all over with a fork and freeze for 10 minutes or until you are ready to bake. Sweet pastry will keep frozen for a week.

2.Preheat oven to 175C. Blind-bake the tart shell until light golden (12-15 minutes; see cook’s notes p200), then remove paper and weights and bake until golden brown (10-15 minutes). Set aside on a wire rack to cool.

3.For poached cherries, combine ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and cherries are tender (15-20 minutes). Set aside to cool, then refrigerate to chill.

4.For chocolate ganache, melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Add butter and stir gently until smooth and melted, pour into tart shell, spread evenly over base and refrigerate until set (30 minutes).

5.Meanwhile, toast flaked almonds in oven until golden (5-7 minutes). Set aside to cool.

6.For cream Chantilly, whip ingredients in a bowl to soft peaks, then spoon onto chilled tart, top with drained cherries (reserve liquid for another use, or serve to the side), raspberries and flaked almonds, and dust with icing sugar and serve. The tart can be made ahead up to making the cream Chantilly.