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Elegant, indulgent and extremely moreish, these tarts are guaranteed to please your special someone on Valentine’s Day.
Prep time 50 minutes/Cook time 20 minutes/Makes 4
Ingredients:
300g (2/3 lb) ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry
plain flour, for dusting
100g (3 ½ oz) dark chocolate (at least 65% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
40g (1 ½ oz) unsalted butter, softened
300ml (1 ¼ cups) double cream
70g (2 ½ oz) raspberries, roughly crushed
1 medium egg white
25g (1 oz) caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces
Method:
Divide the pastry into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece out to 4mm (1/6 in) thick on a lightly-floured work surface. Use the rolled-out pastry to line four 11cm x 10cm (4 ½-4 in) heart-shaped tartlet tins. Prick the bases with a fork then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C, (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6). Place a baking tray in the centre of the oven to heat up.
Once the oven is hot, the pastry-lined cases with foil and fill with baking beans. Place on the hot baking tray and bake blind for 15 minutes. After this time, remove the foil and beans and bake the pastry for a further 5 minutes, until golden. Set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove 2 tablespoons of the melted chocolate and use to coat the insides of the pastry cases using a pastry brush. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, until set.
Stir the butter into the remaining melted chocolate until it has melted (place the bowl back over the simmering water, if necessary). Stir in half the cream, mixing until thoroughly blended. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill the mixture for about 30 minutes or until thickened.
Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks then fold in the crushed raspberries. Divide the mixture between the pastry cases and gently level the surface.
Beat the egg white in a grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually whisk in the sugar to form a firm, glossy meringue. Fold this meringue into the chilled chocolate mixture. Spoon into a large disposable piping bag fitted with a 1cm (1/2 in) star nozzle. Pipe swirls of the chocolate mousse into each tart to cover the cream filling. Sprinkle with freeze-dried raspberry pieces and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
