(for the crust)
150g flour
1/4 t fine sea salt
75g cocoa powder
100g icing sugar
150g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2 medium egg yolks
2 T icy cold water
1/4 t vanilla bean paste
(for the filling)
2 medium just-ripe pears
150g dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), broken up
2 medium eggs, at room temperature
150mL double cream, at room temperature
60g caster sugar
1/2 t vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 T cacao nibs, for sprinkling
icing sugar for dusting
[how to make]
(for the crust)
*Put the flour, salt, cocoa and icing, sugar into a food processor and pulse a few times until thoroughly combined.
*Add the butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
*Add the egg yolks, water and vanilla bean paste and tun the machine until the mixture comes together to make a heavy, slightly sticky dough.
*Cut 2 large sheets of clingfilm and spread one on the worktop.
*Turn out the dough on to the center of the clingfilm and press down to a thick disc.
*Cover with the other sheet of clingfilm.
*Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes until firm but not hard.
*Place the dough, still between the 2 layers of clinfilm, on the worktop and roll out to a rectangle that is slightly larger than your tin.
*Peel off the top layer of clingfilm, then stamp out 12 rounds with the cutter.
*Peel each round off the clingfilm and gently press into a hole in the tin to line evenly.
*Chill for about 20 minutes.
*Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
*Line each pastry case with a small square of baking paper; fill with baking beans and bake blind in the heated oven for 7 minutes until the pastry is just set.
*Carefully remove the paper and beans and bake the pastry cases for a further 5 minutes.
*Leave to cool while you make the filling.
*Put the baking sheet into the oven to heat up.
(for the filling)
*Peel and halve the pears, then scoop out the cores with a melon baller or teaspoon.
*Cut across into 3mm-thick slices to fit across the very top of the pastry cases. Cover with clingfilm.
*Gently melt the chocolate, then cool until lukewarm.
*Put the eggs, cream, caster sugar and vanilla into a mixing bowl and mix with a hard wire whisk until thoroughly combined.
*Scrape the melted chocolate into the bowl and whisk for minute until the mixture is very smooth, glossy and thick.
(for the assembling)
*Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 T of the chocolate custard into each tartlet case to almost but not quite fill it.
*Gently set 3 overlapping slices of pear on top.
*Sprinkle with cacao nibs.
*Set the tin on the heated baking sheet in the oven and bake for 17 to 19 minutes until the custard is just set.
*Set the tin on a wire rack and leave the tartlets to cool completely and firm up before gently unmolding.
*Dust with icing sugar.
(Best eaten the same or the next day. Keep in an airtight tin.)
-makes 12-
Note: I used the recipe from "The Great British BAKE OFF at Home" by Linda Collister.
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