Chocolate and strawberries tart

Ingredients

Cocoa short crust pastry

• 5.5 tbsp (75 g) cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup (130 g) pastry flour
• 1/3 cup + 1.5 tbsp (55 g) icing sugar
• 3 tbsp (20 g) almond powder
• A generous tbsp (8 g) cocoa powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 whole large egg (25 g), room temperature

Cocoa and chocolate sponge

• 2 tbsp (25 g) whipping cream
• 1.5 tbsp (10 g) unsalted butter
• 15 g dark chocolate, 66% cocoa solids, Caraibe Valrhona
• 2 tsp (12 g) inverted sugar (or acacia hooney)
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 g) superfine granulated sugar
• 1 medium/large (50 g) whole egg, room temperature
• 2.5 tbsp (20 g) pastry flour
• 3 tbsp (16 g) almond flour
• 1 tbsp (5 g) cocoa powder
• 1.38 g baking powder
• A pinch of salt

Strawberries custard

• 1 cup + 1 tsp (240 g) strawberry flesh
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp (40 g) superfine granulated sugar (I)
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 g) fresh lemon juice, sifted
• 2 tbsp (30 g) superfine granulated sugar (II)
• 3 g Pectin NH
• a generous tbsp (10 g) cornstarch (Maizena)
• 5 tbsp (70 g) cold diced unsalted butter
• 2.35 g gelatin, 200 bloom

Extra

• Strawberry jam
• Fresh strawberries
• Neutral glaze
• Cocoa butter
• Gold leaf

Instructions

Cocoa short crust pastry

I suggest you to use a kitchen scale.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour and butter until you get a sandy mixture.

Then, add the sugar sifted with cocoa, salt, almond powder end the egg.

Combine until the egg is completely incorporated.

Between 2 sheets of baking paper, roll out the dough 2.5 mm thick and refrigerate for 8 hours.

The day after, place a 17 cm tart ring on a perforated baking tray with perforated baking sheet.
Gently ease the dough into the sides of the ring, use your fingertips to press the pastry into the edges and up the wall of the tin.
Using the knife, remove the overhanging pastry.

Refrigerate for 2 hours, then freeze for 6/8 hours

Heat fan oven at 302F - 150°C and bake the tart shell on a perforated baking tray for 14/15 minutes.

Out of the oven, proof the tart shell with cocoa butter and set aside.

Cocoa and chocolate sponge

Heat fan oven at 302F - 150°C. 

In the micro wave, in a small bowl, melt the butter with inverted sugar, chocolate and cream until 115F - 45°C.

Add the granulated sugar and whisk to combine.

Add the eggs and whisk to combine.

Then, pour the sifted powders in 2 batches and combine until smooth.

Pour 170 g of the mixture inside a square mould 7 inches - 18 cm, smooth the surface with a spatula and bake for 11/12 minutes.

Let the sponge completely cool, remove from the mould and with a 6 inches - 15 cm pastry ring, cut out a disc from the chocolate sponge.

Set aside.

Strawberries custard

Heat the strawberries flesh with the first amount of granulated sugar and lemon juice.

In a small bowl, combine the second part of the sugar, cornstarch and pectine Nh.

When the fruit flesh has reached 115F - 45°C, add gradually the sifted powders and bring to a boil.

Then, cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour the custard in a bowl, then add the gelatin and stir to melt.

When the custard reaches 122F - 50°C, add the butter and mix with a hand blender until smooth.

To assemble

In the tart shell, spread 50 g of sifted strawberry jam and place in the centre the chocolate sponge.

Pour the custard inside the shell until the edge and spread with a small spatula.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

To serve

Slice the strawberries 3-4 mm thick and refrigerate between kitchen paper towels for 30 minutes.

Spray a thin layer of neutral glaze on the surface of the custard.

Place in a nice patterns the strawberries slices.

Brush with neutral glaze, garnish with gold leaf and serve.