Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cuisine type: French
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Dessert, Finger food
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking

Classic French tart

INGREDIENTS

100g dark chocolate, melted
strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, to decorate
½ cup strawberry jam, melted and sieved

crème pâtissière
2 tablespoons cornflour
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
600ml pouring cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
125g cold unsalted butter, chopped
300ml thickened cream whipped

almond pastry
2 teaspoons almond essence
100g block marzipan, softened for 20 seconds in microwave
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 ½ cups plain flour
125g packet (1 cup) almond meal

METHOD

To make crème pâtissière, whisk cornflour, yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Bring cream and vanilla to the boil in a medium saucepan.

Whisk one cup of the hot cream into yolk mixture and then return to pan with remaining cream. Whisk continuously until mixture comes to the boil and has thickened. Remove from heat and quickly pour into a large heatproof bowl.

Gradually whisk in cold butter until well combined, cover mixture with baking paper and refrigerate for several hours or until cold. Fold in whipped cream.

Preheat oven at 180°C/160°C (fan forced). Grease a deep round 26cm loose bottomed flan tin.

To make almond pastry, beat marzipan and essence with an electric mixer until smooth. Add butter and sugar, beat for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy Fold in combined flour and almond meal until mixture forms a soft dough.

Press dough onto base and side of prepared pan. Place tin on an oven tray. Line pastry with baking paper, then fill with dried beans or rice.

Cook for 30 minutes, remove baking paper and dried beans and cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool pastry case.

Brush inside of pastry case with chocolate and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set.

Spoon crème pâtissière into prepared case, smooth over top. Decorate with fresh fruit and brush top with jam.

Serve with extra fresh whipped cream.