Home Is Where the Tart Is

Considering that a mere three months ago I was, shall we say, culinary stunted. I am quite surprised that my culinary prowess has increased in leaps and bounds. I can only attribute this growth spurt to this blog, as that it has encouraged me to delve deeper into the world of food and eating. And frankly who can object to such grand intentions, I think if someone asked me whether I wanted to eat and cook to my heart’s content or jump head first into a vat of motor grease, I know what I would choose.

So what I am saying is that, all this blogging has led me to my first foray into pastry and tart making. I have always been a passionate eater of all things pastry although for some reason I was always under the impression that pastry making was difficult, reserved only for lofty pâtissiers. However my initial stab at making Chocolate and Strawberry Tarts has been relatively painless.

Making the pastry, as in, making them completely from scratch and equipment free, was actually quite enjoyable. I love the hands-on approach to baking, so I try to avoid utilizing electrical mixers when possible. The primary problem I encountered was having the pastry shrink a considerable amount while baking them blind. Everything else worked a gem. And although the pastry cases did not transpire as superbly as I had imagined, I know that my latent pastry-making potential is ready to be uncovered.

I adapted the recipe for both the tart cases and the chocolate filling from Bill Granger’s Sydney Food. His recipe was for Chocolate and Raspberry Tarts, but because I could not find decent raspberries anywhere in Sydney I opted for the ubiquitous strawberry- common, yet no less flavoursome. Besides, no one has ever opposed to the chocolate and strawberry duo. All I can say is that, my face was rightly buried in that bowl of chocolate filling until it was licked clean. Delicious, would be an understatement, especially if you are like me, a devout chocolate enthusiast.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
1 pinch of salt
90g unsalted butter, slightly chilled and diced
2 tbsp cold water

Sift flour, sugar and salt into a dry bowl.
Add the cubes of slightly chilled butter and using the tips of your fingers begin to rub the flour into the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Slowly add cold water and cut through the mixture with a knife until the dough comes together into a ball.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Chocolate and Strawberry Tarts
(makes 6)



60g unsalted butter
100g good quality dark chocolate
1 egg yolk
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp caster sugar
as many strawberries as you like

Divide pastry into four portions and roll each piece out onto a lightly floured surface until 3mm thick.
Press pastry into four individual tart tins and freeze for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180˚C.

Remove pastry shells from freezer, pierce the bottom with a fork several times and line with baking paper and baking weights.
Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove paper and weights and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly browned and cooked throughout.
Allow to cool on wire racks.
Increase oven temperature to 190˚C.

Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir and remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place egg yolk, egg, vanilla extract and sugar into a bowl and beat until combined.
Add the chocolate mixture and mix well.
Pour the mixture into the pastry cases and bake for 5 minutes.
When cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Arrange as many strawberries as you like on top of the tarts.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to avoid the pastry shrinking considerably during blind baking, I would love to hear them.