Sometimes you need a little treat. A homemade chocolate tart is the best dessert for summer. Handily it can be made a day in advance, so if you’re hosting a party you won’t have to worry about making the pudding on the day. You can quickly top it with fresh, in-season raspberries and blueberries and whipped cream just before serving.

Ingredients:
300g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

450ml double cream (for whipping) + extra for topping

100g butter

A pinch of salt

Raspberries and blueberries (for topping)

 

For the rich sweet shortcrust pastry:
226g plain flour
170g butter
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp caster sugar
Pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp cold water

Make the pastry first: sift the flour and add the salt into a mixing bowl with softened butter and rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg yolk with the water and mix with a spoon or a palette knife and knead into a firm dough. Put it into a bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then turn it onto a floured board and roll to size to put into the tart dish. Blind bake it in a low oven (at 160°C) for about 15 minutes. (Use crossed forks over the top or baking beans to stop the pastry from bubbling.) Or buy a ready rolled pack and blind bake that!

Now make the filling:
Chop the chocolate and the butter into pieces and put into a small saucepan. Heat the cream and salt until boiling (stirring all the way) and pour over the chocolate and butter and stir until smooth and melted and gooey.

Pour into the tart pastry case and allow to cool completely before putting it into the fridge to set for a few hours.

Enjoy straight from the fridge on a hazy sunny day.

Chocolate tart. Chocolate tart.
Chocolart. Chuckle-at-art.
Truckle choc-ulent.
Truculent when it’s finished!