Perfect for either a dinner party dessert or your next coffee morning, this sweet tart is easier to make than it might seem at first glance. Short crust pastry is a doddle and once you've nailed that, everything else will fall into place.
Make Macmillan's chocolate chilli tart
Rich and indulgent, with just a hint of warming spice, we reckon a slice of Macmillan's chocolate and peanut praline tart would go down a treat with a hot cup of coffee
Serves 8
Preparation time 50 mins
Cooking time 35 mins
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 5 cardamom pods
- 175g plain flour
- 75g chilled butter, diced
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 egg white
For the filling
- 400ml double cream
- 1 ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 75g butter
- 225g dark chocolate, finely chopped
For the peanut praline
- 100g caster sugar
- 45g roasted and salted large peanuts
Method
- Break open the cardamom pods, shake the black seeds into a pestle and mortar, and crush to a fine powder.
- Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the cardamom and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
- Add the egg yolk and mix to a smooth dough, with a little cold water if necessary.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.
- Roll out the pastry and use to line a 20cm loose-based flan tin. Prick the base with a fork. Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans. Brush the pastry with the egg white. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
- Put the cream and chilli flakes in a heavy-based pan. Heat until almost boiling, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 5 minutes.
- Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- Reheat the cream and pour through a sieve onto the butter and chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the pastry case and leave to set at room temperature (about 3-4 hours).
- To make the praline, heat the sugar in a heavy-based pan over a low heat, swirling it around occasionally until it's all melted. Increase the heat and boil until it's a golden caramel colour. Remove from the heat and tip in the peanuts, swirling them around to coat them in the caramel.
- Immediately pour the mixture onto an oiled baking sheet and set aside to harden.
- Using a rolling pin, smash the cooled peanut caramel into small pieces and scatter over the tart once it has set.
This year M&S will once again be official partner of Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, which takes place Friday 29 September. To get involved, head to: coffee.macmillan.org.uk
