Tart of salted caramel, dark chocolate mousse and freeze dried strawberries - For that very special
- Stephen Wolstenholme
- Nov 6, 2016
- 3 min read
Now that bonfire night is all done and dusted that means only one thing left to think about, Christmas!!! And with Christmas on the mind, for me that means a chance to catch up with friends and family over a good meal. This tart is a perfect way to finish any dinner party.
However, this bake is not for the faint hearted, with multiple stages and a lot of ingredients, it takes time to complete. The results for your hard work are, however, spectacular with a really rich tart, full of salted caramel and finest dark chocolate. Yes this should be saved for the best guests on very special occasions over the forthcoming festive season.
300g sweet short crust pastry
for the salted caramel
125g sugar
25ml water
100g butter
200ml double cream
1tsp maldon rock salt
for the chocolate mousse
170g 74% dark chocolate
7 egg whites
40g sugar
1tsp fresh lemon juice
to finish
150ml double cream
150g freeze dried strawberries
30g dark chocolate
To start this bake first roll out the short crust pastry and fill a 10" tart case with a small overhang all the way round to allow for shrinkage as the case bakes. Line the pastry with baking paper and place some baking beads in the bottom of the case. Bake at 170c for 30-35 minutes until the case is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool trim off the excess with a sharp knife.
Whilst the case cools make the caramel. To do this place the sugar in a pan with the water and place over a medium heat. The addition of water will help to get an even caramel. As the water evaporates the caramel will start to form, at this stage do not be tempted to stir the caramel as it will only cause the sugar to crystallize. Once the caramel starts to gain a small amount of colour give the pan a slight swirl to allow the colour to form evenly. Once the caramel reaches a walnut colour whisk in the butter and the cream to form a butterscotch sauce, add in the salt and set aside to cool.
Once it has cooled a little pour it in the base of the tart shell and place in the fridge to set.
Whilst the caramel sets start the chocolate mousse.
Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water to melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool a little.
Place the egg whites in mixing bowl with the lemon juice (the lemon will help to stabilize the egg whites whilst you work with them) and whisk on high speed until they double in size. Slowly add in the sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks are formed. Take 1/3 of the egg whites and whisk them into the chocolate so that it becomes completely incorporated. The chocolate mix will now be cool enough to fold into the rest of the egg, do this using a large metal spoon in order to lose as little air as possible out of the tart. Once all of the egg is incorporated into the chocolate place it in a piping bag and pipe it into domes about the size of a 50p piece around the tart. Place in the fridge to refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Whisk the last of the double cream and place in a piping bag and pipe it at the intersections of the mousse and place a piece of freeze dried strawberry on top of each one. Finish by grating the remainder of the chocolate over the top.
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