CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE TART

This winter has been particularly horrendous here in Melbourne, Australia with unprdictable event of sunshine, rain, storm and winds coming at random phases in a day. I decided that nothing is safer than staying in my own comfort home, enjoying a piece of decadent chocolate tart. Not just any chocolate tart but a home-made by myself chocolate tart.

I have made this tart many times, and they are as deliciously fresh as they are 'aged'. My husband particularly love it nice and chilled after being in the fridge overnight. It is densely chocolatey at the bottom, crunchy from the shortcrust pastry and light from the the mascarpone cream.

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RECIPE

Equipment: 26cm length x 20 cm wide oval perforated tart ring

Yield: 2 x Large Tart

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
Plain Flour	160g
Icing Sugar	60g
Almond meal	20g
Unsalted Butter	60g
Vanilla Bean Paste	10g
Fine Salt	pinch
Egg Yolks	50g

MADELEINE BISCUIT

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
Eggs	100g
Caster Sugar	50g
Invert Sugar	35g
Plain Flour	100g
Baking Powder	3g
Melted Unsalted Butter	50g

SOAKING SYRUP

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
Water	50g
Sugar	80g

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
Cream 35% Fat	250g
Cacao Barry Ghana 40% Milk Chocolate	340g
Inverted	20g
Vanilla Bean Paste	4g

CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY CREAM

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
Cream 35% Fat (A)	180g
Glucose	20g
Cacao Barry Ghana 40% Milk Chocolate	140g
Cream 35% Fat (B)	120g

MASCARPONE CHANTILLY CREAM

INGREDIENTS	QUANTITY
Thickened Cream 35% Fat	100g
Mascarpone Cheese	60g
Vanilla Bean Paste	5g
Icing Sugar	10g

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METHOD

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE TART.....

NOTE: It is recommended to prepare the Chocolate Chantilly Cream a day in advance.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY CREAM

1. Boil cream (A) with glucose then pour over the chocolate in a bowl.

2. Whisk to emulsify then gently stir in cold Cream (B) until well combined.

3. Cover with cling film touching the surface of the cream and leave to cool in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

4. Before using, whip the chocolate chantilly cream in a mixer with a whisk attachment until it starts to thicken to a pipeable consistency.

5. Transfer into a 1cm diameter plain piping tip for finishing.
   

   FOR THE SHORTCRUST PASTRY

6. Start to prepare the shortcrust pastry for the summer fruit tart.Place the flour, sifted icing sugar, almond meal and cold cubed butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until the mixture starts to resemble find bread crumbs with no lumpt of butter remaining. Add in the cold egg yolks and continue to mix until a smooth dough is formed.

7. Roll the pastry between two parchment paper to approximately 4mm in thickness.

8. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

9. Using preferred tart rings, press down to cut the base over a parchment paper.

10. Trim 3cm strips with the excess dough.

11. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry base with some water then line the strips around the border of the tart ring, ensuring that the strips adheres to the base.

12. Place a commercial oven-proof cling film over the tart cases with excess around the sides. Fill the tart case with baking rice all the way to the top. Secure the baking rice by light folding the excess cling film on the sides over the top.

13. Blind bake the tart cases in a pre-heat oven at 170°C for approximately 12 - 15 minutes. Remove the rice and continue baking for 8 - 10 minutes until the base and sides starts to turn golden in color.

14. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Set aside ready for assembly.

FOR THE MADELEINE BISCUIT

1. Melt the butter and leave for it to cool slightly.

2. Whisk the eggs, inverted sugar, caster sugar until they are light andd frothy.

3. Add in the sifted flour and baking powder and mix until just combined, ensuring that there are no lumpt of dry mix. Do not over mix so as to not develop any gluten.

4. Add in the melted and cooled butter to the batter and continue to gentlY mix until they are well incorporated.

5. Transfer into a baking tray of approximately 30cm x 20cm in measurement, previously lined with baking paper.

6. Bake in the preheated oven at 175C for 12 - 15 minutes or until the madeleine is baked through.

7. Once baked, transfer the sponge over a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

8. Trim the sponge to 1cm smaller to the share of the tart shell, then fit the sponge into the baked tart case.

SOAKING SYRUP

1. Boil the water and sugar together until the sugar are fully dissolved.

2. Brush madeleine biscuit with the soaking syrup.
   

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. Boil the cream with the vanilla bean and invert sugar.

2. Pour the hot cream mixture over onto the chocolate in a jug.

3. Stick blend to emulsify to a smooth consistency.

4. Pour the ganache over the madeleine biscuit in the tart case and level off with a spatula. Reserve the extra ganache in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm diameter star tip for decoration.

5. Leave the ganace to crystalise at room temperature until they set.

FOR THE MASCARPONE CHANTILLY CREAM

1. Whisk the cream, mascarpone cheese, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar in a mixer bowl with a whisk attachment until it starts to thicken to a pipeable consistecy.

2. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1cm piping tip for finishing.