Black Forest tart
Sweet cocoa pastry is filled with a rich, fruity filling of chocolate and cherries in this heavenly German gateau-inspired dessert
- Prep:45 mins
Cook:55 mins
plus chilling - Serves 10
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
- kcal 382
- fat 22g
- saturates 10g
- carbs 38g
- sugars 17g
- fibre 2.7g
- protein 6g
- salt 0.5g
Ingredients
- 375g pack sweet shortcrust pastry, roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 large eggs, 1 separated
- 75g dark chocolate, broken up
- 75g milk chocolate, broken up
- 50g butter, diced
- 140g jam
- 85g golden caster sugar
- couple of handfuls fresh cherries, pitted, plus extra to serve
- icing sugar, to serve
- crème fraîche, to serve
Tip
Preparation tipsIf you haven’t got baking beans for blind-baking, use uncooked rice or dried beans instead. If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you can remove the stones with a metal piping nozzle. Simply place the nozzle on a flat surface, tip facing upwards, and firmly press the cherry onto the nozzle until the stone comes out of the top.
For an alcoholic kick, stir a splash of kirsch and a little icing sugar into the crème fraîche.
Method
Make chocolate pastry by pulsing the pastry, 2 tbsp cocoa and the vanilla in a food processor. Roll out on a lightly floured work surface until it is the thickness of a £1 coin and use to line a 22-23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 30 mins.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Scrunch up a sheet of baking parchment, then flatten it out and press gently over the pastry. Pile in baking beans and blind-bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is biscuity. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for 5 mins more until cooked through. Brush with egg white and return to the oven for 2 mins; this will help to keep the base crisp. Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and spread the jam over the base of the tart.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave, in short bursts on High, stirring in between, or in a bowl over – but not touching – a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk the eggs, egg yolk and sugar with an electric whisk for a full 10 mins until pale and thick. Take your time when beating the eggs and sugar - they should be mousse-like. Sieve the flour and remaining cocoa and fold in, together with the melted chocolate, using a big metal spoon.
Scrape into the tin and scatter over the cherries. Bake for 20-25 mins until the filling has slightly puffed but is still slightly wobbly when you shake it. Chill for 3 hrs or overnight, then sprinkle with a few cherries and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve with crème fraîche.